16 April-Lord Lucan

George Charles Bingham, who lived from 1800 to 1888, was the 3rd Earl of Lucan. He was also known as Lord Lucan of Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland. He was one of the most dreaded landlords in Ireland. Lord Lucan was also a British Army Officer who ordered the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 during the Crimean War.

George Charles Bingham was born in London, England in 1800. He was a descendant of Patrick Sarsfield who led the Flight of the Wild Geese from Ireland following the signing of the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. Sarsfield was the 1st Earl of Lucan. The 3rd Earl of Lucan was educated in England and joined the British Army at the age of 16.

Lucan retired from the army in 1837. He moved to Mayo to manage the family estates which extended to over 60,000 acres. In the late 1840’s during the Great Famine in Ireland he carried out wholesale evictions of his tenants. His activities led to him becoming known in Mayo as ‘the exterminator’.

Lucan was given command of a cavalry division at the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854. His actions during the Battle of Balaclava led to him being recalled to London. Though he remained in the army he had no further active military commands. He died in London on November 10th 1888.

George Charles Bingham, the 3rd Earl of Lucan, who was also known as Lord Lucan of Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland was born in the year 1800 On This Day.

George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan.png

3rd Earl of Lucan

Engraving by D J Pound after a photograph by John Watkins

 

 

 

 

15 April-Hillsborough Disaster

The Hillsborough Disaster occurred during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The disaster occurred at the Hillsborough football stadium in Sheffield, England. A human crush at the stadium led to 96 people dying and 766 being injured. It was Britain’s worst sporting disaster.

The match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest began as scheduled at 3:00 pm. Fans were still entering the stadium at kick-off. In an attempt to ease overcrowding at an entrance to the stadium an exit gate was opened. This however, allowed fans into an already overcrowded section of the stadium. The resulting human crush led to what has become known as the Hillsborough Disaster.

The referee, Ray Lewis, stopped the match at 3:05:30. Both teams were ushered to their dressing rooms. They were told the match would be postponed for 30 minutes. In the event the match was abandoned. It was played three weeks later at Old Trafford in Manchester. The game which was attended by 38,000 fans resulted in a 3 – 1 victory for Liverpool. Liverpool went on to win the 1989 FA Cup.

The Hillsborough Disaster, in which 96 people lost their lives and 766 were injured, occurred during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the year 1989 On This Day.

Hillsborough Memorial

 

 

 

14 April-Irish Tricolour

The Irish tricolour is the national flag of Ireland. It is a vertical tricolour of green white and orange. The flag symbolises the inclusion of the people of different traditions on the island of Ireland. Though first unveiled in 1848 the Irish tricolour was only formally adopted as the national flag of Ireland in 1937.

The flag of Ireland was first unveiled at a meeting in Waterford City on March 7th 1848. It was brought to Ireland from France by the Young Irelander Thomas Francis Meagher. Meagher had gone to France with other members of the Young Ireland movement to study revolutionary activities. During his time there he was presented with the tricolour by a group of French women who were sympathetic to the Irish cause.

Following the unveiling in Waterford Meagher formally presented the flag to the citizens of Ireland at a meeting in Dublin in April 1848. At the presentation he stated: ‘The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the orange and the green’. The tricolour was raised over the General Post Office in Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916. It was adopted as the flag of Ireland by the Government following independence in 1922 and was given constitutional status in 1937.

The Irish tricolour, the national flag of Ireland, was presented to the citizens of Ireland at a meeting in Dublin in the year 1848 On This Day.

Irish Tricolour

The statue of Meagher at the Mall in Waterford, Ireland

 

 

 

13 April-F W Woolworth

Woolworth was an international retail company. It was founded by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Utica, New York on February 22nd 1878. During the 20th century it became one of the largest retail chains in the world. Woolworth’s had stores in Ireland, including one at 24/25 Tullow Street Carlow in Carlow town.

Frank Winfield Woolworth was born into a farming family in Rodman, New York in 1852. In 1873, he began working as a stock boy in a general store. He observed how a clearance by the store of leftover items at reduced prices was a success. He opened his own five-and-ten-cent stores which became very successful.

Following its foundation the Woolworth Corporation began to expand. By 1904 the corporation was operating stores across the US and Canada. Woolworth’s opened its first store in Great Britain in the city of Liverpool in 1909. The first Woolworth store in Ireland opened on Grafton Street in Dublin in 1914. F W Woolworth was one of the wealthiest people in the world at the time of his death on April 8th 1919

Following the opening of the store in Dublin in 1914 further Woolworth stores were opened across Ireland. These included stores at 24/25 Tullow Street Carlow and at 91/92 High Street Kilkenny. By the 1980’s the Woolworth business was in decline. All Woolworth stores in Ireland were closed down in 1984 and the company went out of business and ceased trading on July 17th 1997.

F W Woolworth founder of the Woolworth international retail business was born in New York in the year 1852 On This Day.

WOOLWORTH

 

 

12 April-‘Rock Around the Clock’

‘Rock Around the Clock’ is a rock and roll song which has been called the The National Anthem of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It was recorded in New York in 1954 by Bill Haley & His Comets. The song became a No 1 hit and recordings sold in their millions around the world.

Bill Haley was a singer, musician and songwriter who was native of the United States. He is considered by many to be the father of ‘Rock and Roll’. Haley’s was a member of a musical family and he was influenced by country music. His musical genres included: Rock and roll, country and rockabilly.

‘Rock Around the Clock’ was written in 1952 by songwriter and lyricist Max C. Freedman and songwriter and music publisher James E. Myers. It was recorded as the B-side of the song ‘Thirteen Women’. It became a hit in 1955 following its use in the film ‘Blackboard Jungle’. The song was No 1 hit and became wildly popular with teenagers around the world. It has featured in several films and has been recorded in over 30 languages.

‘Rock Around the Clock’, a song which has been called the The National Anthem of Rock ‘n’ Roll, was recorded by Bill Hayley & His Comets in the year 1954 On This Day.

Rock Around The Clock

09-01-1956_14052 City Theater