24 April-Nurse Margaret Kehoe

Nurse Margaret Kehoe was a native of Orchard, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, Ireland. She was shot dead at the South Dublin Union (now St James Hospital) on Easter Monday 1916. She was the first civilian casualty of the Easter Rising of 1916. At the time of her death Nurse Kehoe had been working at the hospital for almost twenty years.

Margaret Kehoe was born on March 17th 1867. Her father Patrick was the coroner of Co Carlow. Her mother Marion died when Margaret was just nine years old. Margaret was the grandniece of Captain Myles Kehoe who served in the Papal wars in Italy. He also served in both the Civil war and the Indian wars in the United States. Captain Myles Keogh died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn during the Great Sioux War of 1876.

Margaret Kehoe began working as a nurse at the South Dublin Union in 1896. The South Dublin Union was a complex of hospitals and workhouses. When the hospital was commandeered by the volunteers on April 24th 1916 there were 3,282 people including patients, doctors, nurses and ancillary staff on the site. The volunteers established their headquarters in the Nurses Home. They were led by Éamonn Ceannt and Officers Cathal Brugha, Con Colbert and W T Cosgrave. Cosgrave would later become Taoiseach. The patients and staff were not evacuated during the fighting. In order to dislodge the rebels, the British Army attacked the Union on the afternoon of Monday April 24th. The situation for staff and patients became perilous and many people lost their lives.

A Mr James Cribbin who was a native of Prosperous, Co Kildare had been employed as ‘Diet Clerk’ at the hospital for 30 years. In an interview with the Kildare Observer Cribbin stated: ‘I was in charge of the place on Easter Monday morning, the Master and the Assistant Master having gone to the races at Fairyhouse. The Sinn Feiners – about a hundred in all – entered and took possession of the buildings’. He went on to say that they helped themselves to supplies of food from the stores.

When talking about the casualties Cribbin described Nurse Kehoe as a ‘popular, capable and conscientious officer. She opened a door to cross a passage in search of one of her patients when she dropped with a bullet through her heart’. Along with others who died in the fighting Nurse Kehoe was buried in the grounds of the hospital. Her remains were later exhumed and reinterred in Ballinabranna cemetery, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow.

Nurse Margaret Kehoe, a native of Co Carlow, became the first civilian casualty of the Easter Rising when she was shot dead whilst on duty in the year 1916 On This Day.

Leighlinbridge

 

 

 

04 November-Ruth Handler-Barbie Doll

Ruth Handler was a toy designer, inventor and businesswoman. She is best known as the creator of Barbie doll. Barbie was first introduced to the public at the American International Toy Fair in New York in 1959. With her husband, Handler co-founded the multi-national toy manufacturing company, Mattel. In later years she had a successful career in the prosthetic breast business.

Ruth Handler was born Ruth Marianna Mosko in Denver, Colorado in 1916. In 1938 she moved to Los Angeles with her husband Elliot Handler where they established a furniture making business. They also manufactured giftware and doll house furniture. They founded Mattel in 1942.

Ruth Handler had observed her daughter playing with paper dolls. She was inspired to create Barbie which she based on the German doll, Bild Lilli. Barbie is 30cm (11.5 in) tall. She has been described as a Teen-Age Fashion Model for children to play with. She has a boyfriend called Ken and several friends. She also has a wide range of accessories, clothes and over 40 pets.

Ruth Handler, toy designer, inventor and businesswoman best known as the creator of Barbie doll, was born in the year 1916 On This Day.

 

 

 

 

31 October-Charles Taze Russell

Charles Russell was a native of America. He founded the International Bible Students Association from which developed Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian denomination which does not believe in the Trinity. With a worldwide membership of over 8 million it has its headquarters in Warwick, New York.

Charles Taze Russell was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania on February 16th 1852. He was influenced by the Adventist movement begun by the Baptist preacher, William Miller. Miller had predicted that the world would end with the second coming of Christ on October 22nd 1844. Russell preached that the ‘invisible return’ of Christ had occurred in 1877. He predicted that what he called the Gentile times would end in 1914 after which Christ would rule the earth. Russell travelled widely preaching to his many congregations.

Charles Taze Russell founder of the International Bible Students Association from which developed Jehovah’s Witnesses died aged 64 in the year 1916 On This Day.

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Charles Taze Russell 1911

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Charles Taze Russell Pyramid, United Cemeteries

 

 

26 October-François Mitterrand

François Mitterrand served as President of France for two terms from 1981 to 1995. He studied law and politics at the University of Paris and was first elected to the National Assembly of France in 1946. He was appointed to a number of Government ministries during his career. He was the recipient of several awards including the Légion d’honneur (Legion of Honour).

François Mitterrand was born François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand in Jarnac in southwestern France in 1916. He served in the French Army during World War II. He was wounded and captured by the Germans in 1940. He escaped from a prisoner of war camp and made his way back to France where he worked for the Vichy government.

In 1965 and again in 1974 Mitterrand ran for election to the presidency of France. Having failed on both occasions he was finally elected as the socialist candidate in 1981. During his time as president he introduced several reforms and helped to advance greater European integration. In 1991 he became the first President of France to appoint a female Prime Minister, Edith Cresson.

François Mitterrand, who served as President of France for two terms from 1981 to 1995, was born in the year 1916 On This Day.

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François Mitterrand

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Médiathèque François Mitterrand

 

 

 

 

04 May-Michael O’Hanrahan

O’Hanrahans GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) Club is located in Carlow town, Ireland. The club was founded in 1919. It is named in commemoration of Michael O’Hanrahan who was executed for his part in the Easter Rising of 1916. The club has consistently been one of the top teams in County Carlow.

Michael O’Hanrahan was born in New Ross Co Wexford on January 17th 1877. When Michael was young his family moved to Carlow where his father established a cork making business on Tullow Street. Michael was educated at the Christian Brothers School in Carlow. He later worked in his father’s business.

In 1899 O’Hanrahan founded a branch of the Gaelic League in Carlow. He was also a founding member of Carlow Workman’s Club. The Club was established as a non-sectarian and non-political organisation. O’Hanrahan attempted to use the club to promote the use of the Irish language. However his proposal to have information to club members circulated in Irish and English failed to succeed. O’Hanrahan resigned from the club when his proposal to refuse membership of the club to a Mr Hopkins was defeated. Mr Hopkins was a serving member of the British Army.

O’Hanrahan moved to Dublin in 1903 where he worked in the printing business. He also began to write for various nationalist publications. In 1914 his first novel ‘A Swordsman of the Brigade’ was published. His novel ‘When the Norman Came’ was published posthumously in 1918.

In 1913 O’Hanrahan joined the Irish Volunteers. He eventually became Quartermaster General of the 2nd Battalion of the Volunteers. During the Easter Rising of 1916 O’Hanahan was second in command under Commandant Thomas MacDonagh at the garrison in Jacob’s Biscuit Factory. The Factory was located on Bishop Street on the south side of Dublin City. The garrison saw little fighting.

When the Rising ended the garrison at Jacob’s was ordered to surrender on April 30th. Following the surrender Michael O’Hanrahan was found guilty at his court martial and sentenced to death. He was 39 years old.

Michael O’Hanrahan (Micheál Ó hAnnrachain) was executed by firing squad at Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin in the year 1916 On This Day.

Michael O’Hanrahan