William Russell Grace was born in Cobh Co Cork, when his family was there on holidays, in 1832. William was educated locally. He wanted to join the Royal Navy but his father, James, persuaded him to take a position with a ships chandler company in Liverpool. At the age of 16 in 1848 William left Liverpool and moved to New York where he worked at various jobs before returning to Ireland in 1848.

A few years later in 1851 he accompanied his father to Callao in Peru where his father intended to establish an Irish agricultural community farming on sugar plantations. His father returned to Ireland a short time later, but before he did he helped William find a job, again as a ships chandler. William was joined a short time later by his brother James. The brothers eventually took over the company and established Grace Brothers & Co in 1865.

The Grace Brothers became very wealthy supplying ships which were transporting natural fertiliser from the Guano Islands off the coast of Peru to destinations all over the world. In 1865 William, who had married in 1859, moved back to New York for health reasons. He established the head office of his company in the city.

In 1879, having lost the war with Chile, Peru owed $250 million. The debt was taken over by Grace and another Irishman John Hely-Hutchinson, 5th Earl of Donoughmore. The debt was taken over in return for many concessions, including silver mines. W. R. Grace and Co is today one of the biggest chemical and fertiliser companies in the world. It employs over 6,000 people in over 30 countries around the world.

William Grace was elected Mayor of New York on two occasions. He introduced several reforms, reduced the tax rate and fought against corruption. He became a renowned philanthropist, contributing large amounts of humanitarian aid to Ireland during the famine of 1879

With his brother Michael, William established the Grace Institute for the tuition-free education of women, especially emigrants. The Grace Institute still provides non-sectarian, tuition-free education for immigrant women at its school in New York City. William Grace visited Ireland on several occasions. He continued to work in his business until shortly before he died on March 21^st 1904 at the age of 71.

William Russell Grace from Ballylinan Co Laois, Ireland, former Mayor of New York and founder of W R Grace and Company was born in the year 1832 On This Day.

Photo by PhotoHenning

W.R. Grace Building, NYC by PhotoHenning on 2013-10-02 19:27:11

Grace family mausoleum, Sacred Heart Church, Arles, Co Laois, Ireland

Francis Joseph Spellman was Cardinal Archbishop of New York from 1939 to 1967. His grandmother Ellen Kehoe was a native of Kilbride, Clonegal, Co Carlow. Cardinal Spellman was born in Whitman, Massachusetts, USA in 1889. Following graduation from Fordham University in New York in 1911 he decided to study for the priesthood. He was ordained in Rome on May 4th 1916. Having served in numerous posts he was appointed Archbishop of New York in 1939. He was created Cardinal in 1946.

Cardinal Spellman visited Clonegal in 1953, met with local people and visited local schools. He also visited Ireland in 1954. He later contributed $2,000 towards the cost of the Kildavin GAA pitch and the local community hall which were subsequently named in his honour. Cardinal Spellman died on December 2nd 1967 at the age of 78.

Cardinal Francis Joseph Spellman was born in the year 1889 On This Day.

Photo by villanovalawlibrary

Cardinal Spellman 1956

A P McCoy was born Anthony Peter McCoy at Moneyglass, County Antrim in 1974. He began his racing apprenticeship at the Jim Bolger stables in Coolcullen on the Carlow/Kilkenny border at the age of 15. He rode his first winner at Thurles racecourse the age of seventeen in 1992. He went on to ride a record 4,358 winners in Ireland and Great Britain during his career. He retired in 2015

A P McCoy, champion horse racing jockey who is a native of Northern Ireland, was born in the year 1974 On This Day.

Photo by TaylorHerring

AP McCoy

James Butler Marquess of Ormonde, from the Irish Confederate capital of Kilkenny led the army opposing Cromwell when he arrived to conquer Ireland. Cromwell had been ruling England as a republic since 1649. Butler’s army was forced to retreat from Rathmines following a surprise attack.

Having taken Drogheda Cromwell marched South capturing Wexford and Waterford. When Carlow and New Ross had surrendered to him Cromwell laid siege to Kilkenny and captured the City. In May 1650 Cromwell returned to England to lead an army to conquer Scotland. By 1653 the conquest of Ireland by Cromwell’s army under Ireton was complete.

Many landlords, including the Tobin family, had their lands confiscated. Richard Tobin of Lyrath House like many other landowners was ordered to move to Connaught. The orders gave rise to the expression: ‘To hell or to Connaught’. The Penal Laws already in place in England were imposed on Ireland. Most of the ordinary population, however remained on the estates and many of the estates were restored to their original owners after the English Restoration of 1660.

Though it was put back to March 1^st 1655 Richard Tobin of Lyrath had a certificate of ‘Transplantation to Connaught’ signed in the year 1654 On This Day.

Photo by Nico Kaiser

2016-10-18_DSC09824

King Edward VII was no stranger to Ireland. As Prince of Wales he was stationed at the Curragh in County Kildare when his mother Queen Victoria, her husband prince Albert and three of their nine children came to visit Ireland in 1861. At the time he was undergoing military training with the Grenadier Guards. Queen Victoria and her family spent eight days visiting several part of Ireland including Killarney and the Curragh Camp where she watched he son marching on parade.

Whilst stationed at the Curragh the future Edward VII began a relationship with Nellie Clifton who was described as an actress. His parents were horrified when they heard of the relationship. Queen Victoria blamed the relationship for the early death of her husband. When he became king following the death of Queen Victoria, Edward VII visited Ireland in 1903. However he curtailed his visit due to the death of Pope Leo XIII who died on the day of the king’s arrival in Ireland.

In 1904 The Royal party arrived by train to a bright, colourful Kilkenny city which was festooned with flags and bunting. The route from the railway station to Kilkenny Castle was decorated with tiny fairy lights of every colour together with bunting and streamers. Among all the colour and excitement at the visit however, flags protesting at the visit were hung from some windows along the route. The Royal party was welcomed at the railway station by Kilkenny city authorities and the Marquis of Ormonde.

As the King and his family made their way through the thronged city streets there was chanting and cheering from the crowds. On the first night of the visit a fireworks display was held that lit up the night sky of the entire city. During their two day stay in Kilkenny the Royal family visited the Kilkenny Agricultural Show. The show was being held in St James Park on Saturday, the first day of their visit. On Sunday the family attended service in St Canices Cathedral and attended other events. Princess Victoria planted three trees in the grounds of Kilkenny Castle. Having spent two nights and three days in Kilkenny the Royal family left by train for Waterford. They sailed form Waterford on May 4th. The King and his wife visited Ireland again in 1907.

King Edward VII began his visit Kilkenny city in the year 1904 On This Day.

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons Royal Group, crowds

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons

Royal group in Kilkenny Castle

]]> https://www.otd.ie/index.php/2024/04/30/30-april-kilkenny-royal-visit-1904/feed/ 0 https://www.otd.ie/index.php/2024/04/24/24-april-nurse-margaret-kehoe-2/ https://www.otd.ie/index.php/2024/04/24/24-april-nurse-margaret-kehoe-2/#respond Wed, 24 Apr 2024 05:30:40 +0000 http://www.otd.ie/?p=7586 Continue Reading →]]> 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.

Photo by David Bergin Photography

Leighlinbridge

The Boot Factory in Carlow was opened in 1903 by Mr Michael Governey who was the owner of a mineral water works in the Castle Hill area of the town. The business expanded rapidly and by the late 1930’s had over 300 employees. Between 3,000 and 4,000 pairs of various types of footwear were manufactured weekly. The products were distributed all over Ireland and were exported to Britain. The factory ceased production and was closed down in the 1970’s

Governey’s Boot Factory was opened in Carlow town in the year 1903 On This Day.

Photo by Internet Archive Book Images

Image from page 661 of “Lasell leaves” (1916) by Internet Archive Book Images on 1916-01-01 00:00:00

Photo by brookscl

Map of Carlow showing Castle Hill by brookscl on 2015-10-04 10:41:02

The Irish Export Board (An Córas Tráchtála) was tasked with promoting Irish goods abroad. The Chief Executive of the Board, William H Walsh, recognised the importance of design in industry in order to encourage commerce, trade and export. Scandinavian designers were commissioned to carry out an audit of the standards of design in Ireland. Their report was officially called ‘Design in Ireland’ but was generally known as the Scandinavian Report. The report was used as a basis for the establishment of Kilkenny Design Workshops.

Employing designers from across Europe William Walsh established the Design Workshops in the converted stables at Kilkenny Castle. Five workshops in the areas of textile weaving, textile printing, silver and metalwork, ceramics, and woodworking were established. As time went on industrial design was incorporated into the work of Kilkenny Design. Kilkenny became a centre for design excellence and the name Kilkenny became synonymous with excellent design.

The team of international designers undertook design projects for both indigenous industry and as time went on for international companies which had been established in Ireland. Retail operations were developed in Ireland, London and North America. Kilkenny Design Workshop operated at its base in Kilkenny city until its closure in 1988. Today the Castle Yard is home to the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and a number of thriving craft and design businesses.

Kilkenny Design Workshops were officially opened in Kilkenny city, Ireland in the year 1965 On This Day.

Photo by Kieran Lynam

Kilkenny Design Centre by Kieran Lynam on 2008-01-15 17:17:13

Photo by Bernie Goldbach

Kilkenny design by Bernie Goldbach on 2005-03-02 13:50:33

Photo by Bernie Goldbach

Arriving McDonagh by Bernie Goldbach on 2004-08-03 16:53:55

Daniel Carroll emigrated to America in 1689. He settled in St. Mary’s City, capital of the colony of Maryland, where he married Eleanor Darnall. She was the owner of a large plantation near Upper Marlboro in the state of Maryland. The couple had 7 children. Their son Charles Carroll, one of the signatories of the US Declaration of Independence was born September 19^th 1737.

Charles Carroll’s brother John, with whom he studied at the College of St. Omer in French Flanders joined the Jesuit Order. He served as the first bishop and Archbishop in the United States. Bishop John Carroll was also the founder of Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution in the USA.

Charles Carroll, whose father was County Offaly, Ireland and who was one of the signatories of the United States Declaration of Independence, died aged 95 in the year 1832 On This Day.

Photo by Mark Morgan Trinidad B

Charles Carroll