Irish poet John Montague was born on this day in 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. During the Depression years, Montague was sent back to Ireland and was raised in Tyrone by his two aunts. He went on to study at University College Dublin in 1946, where he was first inspired to write poetry by a post-war atmosphere in Dublin. Several of his poems were published in literary magazines. … [Read more...] about February 28, 1929
Today In History
May 24, 1928
William Trevor, short story-writer and novelist, was born in Co. Cork. Trevor, who has won the Whitbread Prize three times and has been short-listed five times for the Booker Prize, is considered one of Ireland's greatest writers. In a rare interview with Irish America magazine in 1992 Trevor said, "I think we Irish are a nation of storytellers. If you study the way we argue, … [Read more...] about May 24, 1928
March 19, 1928
Actor Patrick McGoohan was born in Astoria, Queens in New York City on this day in 1928. Raised Roman Catholic, McGoohan was born to Irish emigrants, and the family soon moved back to County Leitrim, Ireland. He left school at sixteen, eventually finding work at the Sheffield Repertory Theatre, in England. Orson Welles was so impressed with McGoohan's performance in a West End … [Read more...] about March 19, 1928
July 15, 1927
Irish patriot, social activist and suffragist Countess Constance de Markievicz died at the age of 59 on July 15, 1927 in Dublin. Born to a wealthy English family with ties to Ireland, Markievicz became the first ever woman to be elected to the British House of Commons in December 1918. Yet, Markievicz along with her political party Sinn Feinn, chose not to take her seat and … [Read more...] about July 15, 1927
November 18, 1926
Irish writer and playwright George Bernard Shaw refuses to accept the Nobel prize money of £7,000 on this day in 1926. After nomination for the award for literature a year prior, Shaw at first wanted to turn down the Nobel Prize because he had no desire for accolades. However, he accepted on his wife's request, because she believed it was a tribute to Ireland. He still rejected … [Read more...] about November 18, 1926