29 April-Kevin Moran

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Kevin Moran is a native of Dublin, Ireland. He played both Gaelic Football and soccer at the highest level. He was the winner of two All-Ireland football medals with the Dublin senior GAA team. He also won two FA cup medals with Manchester United Football team. Moran made 71 international appearances with the Republic of Ireland Football team.

Kevin Bernard Moran was born in Rialto, Dublin in 1956. He played Gaelic football with his school and soccer with Dublin clubs such as Bohemians and Pegasus. He made his debut with the Dublin senior GAA team in 1976. Moran went on to win All-Ireland medals with Dublin in 1976 and 1977. He was chosen as a member of the All-Stars in 1976.

In 1978 Moran signed for Manchester United. He made 289 appearances for the club and scored a total of 24 goals. During his time with Manchester United Moran won an FA Cup medal in 1983 and 1985. He also played soccer at international level for Ireland from 1980 to 1994. He scored on six occasion with the international team. He retired in 1994.

Kevin Moran was born in the year 1956 On This Day.

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Champions of Europe

13 February-Liam Brady

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Liam Brady is a native of Dublin. He is a former Irish international football player who played with distinction for his country. He acted as assistant manager of Republic of Ireland national football team from 2008 to 2010. Brady played most of his club football in England and Italy.

Liam Brady was born in Dublin in 1956. He was educated at St Aiden’s CBS and played with the Dublin football club St Kevin’s Boys. In 1971 at age 15 he moved to London where he began his career at Arsenal. Brady remained at Arsenal until 1980, making 235 appearances for the club and scoring 43 goals.

He moved to Italy in 1980 to play for Juventus. During the following decade Brady played for several Italian clubs before returning to England to play for West Ham United until he retired in May 1990. Brady made his first appearance with the Irish international team in October 1974. In all he played for his country on 72 occasions. He frequently acts as a soccer pundit on television.

Liam Brady was born in the year 1956 On This Day.

Photo by humbert15

Liam Brady

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Awaiting Goal Kick

02 May-Violet Gibson, Mussolini assassin

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Violet Gibson from Dublin shot and injured the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini when she tried to assassinate him in Rome in 1926. Benito Mussolini was journalist and socialist politician who founded the Fascist party in Italy in 1919. By 1922 Italy was in political chaos and Mussolini was invited by King Victor Emmanuel to form a government. Mussolini took the title of ‘Il Duce’. He gradually dismantled the institutions of democratic government and appointed himself dictator.

The Honourable Violet Albina Gibson was born in Dublin on August 31st 1876. She was the daughter of Edward Gibson (Lord Ashbourne) who was the Lord Chancellor of Ireland for lengthy periods from 1885 to 1906. She had four brothers and three sisters and grew up in privileged circumstances. Her eldest brother Willie who succeeded his father as Lord Ashbourne was a member of the Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge) and insisted on speaking in Irish even in the House of Lords.

Violet was described as frail and had suffered several serious illnesses, including pleurisy, by the time she reached the age of 20. When she was 26, like her brother Willie she became a catholic and a few years later moved to London. Following the death several members of her family and her fiancé, Gibson moved to Paris at the age of 33. There she became involved in the pacifist movement. She continued to suffer from ill-health and was hospitalised with a nervous breakdown in 1922 at the age of 46. During her recovery she moved with a nurse to Rome where they lived in a convent.

Mussolini at this time was at the height of his power. On the day Gibson attempted to assassinate him he had delivered a speech to the International Congress of Surgeons at their meeting in Rome. He was walking from the building when Gibson fired at him from a few feet. However, at the moment Gibson pulled the trigger, Mussolini moved his head to acknowledge the cheering crowds and the bullet grazed his nose. He staggered backwards with blood streaming down his face. The crowd attacked Gibson but she was rescued by the police. She was deported to England where she spent the remainder of her life in St Andrew’s Hospital in Northampton.

Violet Gibson from Dublin, who wounded Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, when she attempted to assassinate him, died in the year 1956 On This Day.

Photo by Oldmaison

Mussolini by Oldmaison on 2008-02-12 22:56:32