Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. Her grandmother was Margaret Butler of Kilkenny Castle, Ireland. Anne Boleyn was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536. Her marriage to Henry VIII led to the start of the Reformation in England.

Henry VIII married to Catherine of Aragon in 1509. She was the widow of his older brother, Arthur Prince of Wales. The marriage of Henry and Catherine produced a daughter, but no surviving sons. The daughter would become Mary I of England.

Henry was dissatisfied with the marriage to Catherine. He had become infatuated with Anne Boleyn. His request to have his marriage to Catherine annulled was refused by Pope Clement VII. Henry assumed supremacy over religious matters and the English clergy declared his marriage to Catherine invalid. He married Anne Boleyn on January 25^th 1533. Anne Boleyn’s Irish cousin, Piers Butler of Kilkenny was created Earl of Ormond by Henry. The marriage led to the schism between England and the Catholic Church.

The marriage of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn produced a daughter, who would become Elizabeth I of England. The failure of the marriage to produce a son disappointed Henry. In 1536 he had Anne arrested for high treason. She was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Anne Boleyn, Queen of England and the second wife of King Henry VIII of England was beheaded in the Tower of London in the year 1536 On This Day.

Anne Boleyn

National Portrait Gallery

Photo by ell brown

The Queens Head – Ely Street, Stratford-upon-Avon

John Bruton is a politician who served as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. He helped to begin the transformation of the Irish economy into one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Bruton was also deeply involved in the development of the Northern Irish Peace Process.

John Gerard Bruton was born in Dunboyne, Co Meath in 1947. Having qualified as a barrister he decided to enter politics. He was elected to Dáil Eireann to represent the constituency of Meath in the general Election of 1969. He was returned at each subsequent election until his retirement from politics in 2004.

Apart from serving as Taoiseach, Bruton also served in several ministerial positions during his time in Dáil Eireann. Following his retirement he served as the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States from 2004 to 2009. He continues to play an active role in Irish and European affairs.

John Bruton, who served as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland from 1994 to 1997 was born in Co Meath in the year 1947 On This Day.

Photo by Fine Gael

Former Taoiseach John Bruton speaking at a public meeting on the Stability Treaty

Teresa Carey became Ireland’s first female train driver in 2002. She began her driving career with Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Rail) at the age of 26 on the Cork to Dublin route. The Cork to Dublin route is one of the busiest in Ireland.

Teresa Carey was born in Radford, Coventry, England in 1976. She moved to Tralee, Co Kerry, Ireland when she was three years old. In 1994 she began working on the railways. She worked as a caterer, gatekeeper and train guard before beginning her locomotive training in 2001. Having successfully completed her training she drove the 9.05am train from Kent Station in Cork to Heuston Station in Dublin the following year.

Teresa Carey became Ireland’s first female train driver in the year 2002 On This Day.

Photo by infomatique

Cork Kent Railway Station

Photo by infomatique

Kent Station in Cork

Emily Dickinson was a poet who was a native of America. She is known for her innovative use of form and syntax. Very few of her poems were published during her lifetime. Following her death in 1886 her younger sister discovered that she had written almost 1,800 poems. Her poetry has been included in the prescribed material for the Leaving Certificate English Examination.

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10^th 1830. She left school as a teenager and rebelled against the extreme religious zeal which was common at the time. She lived her whole life in Amherst eventually becoming a reclusive. She interacted with the world mostly through correspondence. She is widely regarded as one of the most innovative poets in modern literature.

Emily Dickinson, a poet who was a native of America, died in Amherst, Massachusetts in the year 1886 On This Day.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson, c. early 1847, located in Amherst College Archives

Michael Balfe was a composer and musician who was a native of Dublin, Ireland. The Bohemian Girl which contains the aria ‘I Dreamt That I Dwelt in Marble Halls’ is regarded as his most famous composition. During his career he composed over 20 operas and numerous songs.

Michael William Balfe was born in Pitt Street, Dublin in 1808. The name of the street was changed to Balfe Street by Dublin Corporation in 1917. From a young age his musical talent was apparent. As a child he moved with his family to Wexford. He made his first appearance as a violinist at the age of nine at the Rotunda Concert Rooms in Dublin.

At the age of sixteen Balfe moved to London following the death of his father. He played for a time in the orchestra at Drury Lane theatre before moving to Italy in 1825. He sang leading roles in operas by composers such as Rossini. He returned to London in 1833. In 1835 his popularity was established when his first opera in English, The Siege of Rochelle, was produced at Drury Lane. He became a noted conductor and composer during his lifetime. There is a large statue of Balfe in the entrance foyer of the Drury Lane Theatre Royal, London.

Michael Balfe, composer and musician who was a native of Dublin, was born in the year 1808 On This Day.

Michael William Balfe

National Library of France

Photo by Internet Archive Book Images

Image from page 52 of “The Bohemian girl : opera in three acts” (1880)