23 May-Rosemary Clooney

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Rosemary Clooney was a singer, and actress who was a native of Kentucky, USA. She was the aunt of actor George Clooney. Her ancestors lived in the village of Windgap, Co Kilkenny Ireland. Clooney’s great-grandfather, Nicholas Clooney, emigrated to America in 1852. The family settled in Kentucky.

Rosemary Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky in 1928. She made her singing debut at the age of 13 and toured with a big band during the 1940’s. She had her first big hit with ‘Come On-a My House’ in 1951. She starred with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in ‘White Christmas’ in 1954.

Following a period during the 1960’s, when her career ran into difficulties, Rosemary Clooney returned to performing in 1977. She made her comeback when she appeared with Bing Crosby to mark his 50 years in show business. She continued to perform for the rest of her life and was awarded the Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. She died at the age of 74 on June 29^th 2002.

Rosemary Clooney was born in the year 1928 On This Day.

Photo by Ninian Reid

Rosemary Clooney on the US tv show, What’s My Line

12 April-Captain James Fitzmaurice

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Captain James Fitzmaurice, one of Ireland’s greatest aviators, is commemorated with a monument in Portlaoise, Co Laois. He was the co-pilot on the first successful east-west flight across the North Atlantic Ocean in 1928. In Mountmellick town hall a bust of Fitzmaurice was unveiled by his daughter Patricia in 1998. In the same year An Post issued a stamp in his honour.

James Michael Christopher Fitzmaurice was born in Dublin on January 6th 1898. His family moved to Portlaoise in 1902 when he was four years old. Fitzmaurice was educated at Christian Brothers School Portlaoise and later joined the British Army. He was wounded in France during the First World War. Towards the end of the war Fitzmaurice was posted to the School of Military Aeronautics. He served with the Royal Air Force for a number of years, resigning in August 1921.

Fitzmaurice joined the Irish Air Corps in February 1922 shortly after Irish independence. By 1927 he had been promoted to the rank of Commandant. His first attempt to fly across the Atlantic to America ended in failure in 1927. His second attempt was in the German plane, The Bremen, which took off from the Air Corps Base at Baldonnel, Co Dublin in April 1928. The pilot was Captain Kohl and Fitzmaurice was his co-pilot. The owner of the plane, Von Hunfeld was also on board.

Following the first successful transatlantic flight the Bremen landed on Greenly Island, Canada just over 36 hours after take-off from Baldonnel. The successful flight made heroes of the three aviators. They were conferred with the Distinguished Flying Cross by US President Coolidge and were celebrated with a parade in New York City. They were also awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin.

Captain James Fitzmaurice was co-pilot on the first successful East-West flight across the North Atlantic, which took off from Baldonnel, Co Dublin in the year 1928 On This Day.

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons

Bremen flight 1928. Irish celebrations in Limerick

Fitzmaurice Monument, Portlaoise.
Photo: Joe Rattigan

10 September-The Irish Pound

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The Irish Pound, which was introduced in 1928, was the currency of Ireland for over 75 years. It was withdrawn from circulation and replaced by the Euro in 2002. The pound had been fixed to the Euro in January 1999.

The first Irish coinage was introduced by the Vikings in the year 997. Called a pound, it replaced various currencies then in circulation in Ireland. These currencies included coins from places such as the North East of England and from Baghdad similar to those found in Dunmore Cave in Kilkenny in 1999. The pound went through various changes during the following centuries.

Following the Act of Union in 1801 the Irish Pound continued to be the currency of Ireland. In 1826 the Pound Sterling replaced the Irish Pound. The Pound Stirling remained the currency of Ireland for over 100 years even after independence in 1922. The Irish Government established the Currency Commission in 1927. This led to the introduction of the Irish Pound in 1928. The new currency, which maintained parity with the Pound Sterling, was designed by Sir John Lavery.

The Irish Pound was the currency of Ireland until January 1^st 1999. On that date Ireland and 10 other countries adopted the Euro as their currency. The Euro went into circulation on February 9^th 2002 and the process of withdrawing the Irish Pound from circulation was begun.

The Irish Pound first went into circulation in the year 1928 On This Day.

Photo by renaissancechambara

ten punt note by renaissancechambara on 2010-03-28 23:06:15

27 August-Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe

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Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe is the national Irish language theatre of Ireland. The theatre is based in Galway city. The word Taibhdhearc is derived from combining the Irish words ‘taibhse’ and ‘dearc’. ‘Taibhse’ means spectacle or ghost, and ‘dearc’ means behold or look.

Work began on the development of an Irish language theatre in Galway in 1918. However it was not until 1927 that a committee was formed for the establishment of the theatre. At that time Irish language theatre was administered by the Department of Education in Dublin. The new committee in Galway sought a grant from the Government. The Minister for Finance at the time, Ernest Blythe, was keen to support the initiative and made a grant of £600 available to the committee in 1928.

The Augustinian Hall in Middle Street which is located in the medieval area of Galway was hired by the committee in 1928. Converting the hall to a theatre, which could seat over 200, was carried out by committee members and local supporters. The first production was Micheál Mac Liammóir’s, Diarmuid agus Gráinne in 1928. During the following decades the theatre successfully produced plays which had been written in the Irish language by various authors. Plays were also produced which had been translated into Irish from various other languages. Well-known actors like Mick Lally from Toormakeady in Co Mayo began their careers in An Taibhdhearc.

The theatre was damaged in a fire in 2007. It has since been renovated and is now a modern theatre with seating for almost 150 people. It plays host to several drama and music productions during the year.

Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe first opened its doors with a production of Diarmuid agus Gráinne in the year 1928 On This Day.

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons

St. Nicholas’ Church, Galway, 1890(?) by National Library of Ireland on The Commons on 1890-01-01 00:00:00

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons

Eyre Square, Galway by National Library of Ireland on The Commons on 1885-01-01 00:00:00

Photo by young shanahan

Halloween in Galway. by young shanahan on 2013-10-27 00:23:19

26 July-Stanley Kubrick

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Stanley Kubrick chose the 15th century Huntington Castle in Clonegal, County Carlow, Ireland as the setting for some of the scenes in the film ‘Barry Lyndon’. The film which tells the story of an 18th century Irish adventurer was the winner of four Oscars at the Academy Awards in 1975.

Stanley Kubrick was born in New York City in July 1928. Though interested in literature he did not do well at school. He was later reported to have said that nothing about school interested him. Kubrick was taught to play chess by his father. He became a skilled player and chess played an important part in the making of his films.

Before taking up filmmaking in the 1950’s Kubrick worked initially as a photographer. He began by making documentaries and made his first feature film ‘Fear and Desire’ in 1953. During his lifetime Kubrick made 10 feature films apart from Barry Lyndon. Many of his films were influential and he came to be highly regarded as a director. Spartacus (1960), Lolita (1962), Dr. Strangelove (1964), Clockwork Orange (1971), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Shining (1980), Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999) are some of his most famous films.

In 1962 Kubrick moved to England to make the film Lolita. He began to live permanently there after 1964. Stanley Kubrick died at his home in Hertfordshire, England on March 7^th 1999. His death occurred shortly after a private screening of his final film, ‘Eyes Wide Shut’.

Stanley Kubrick, American film director, was born in New York City in the year 1928 On This Day.