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1916 Padraic Pearse ordered the Irish rebels to surrender their strongholds in Dublin on this day in 1916. It came after they had declared Ireland an independent state, free from British rule and gained control of several major buildings in Dublin.
However, the British military had them outnumbered and surrounded, so to prevent the loss of any more lives of civilians, Pearse and his men stood down.
The British government reacted severely to the uprising and executed several of the nationalist leaders. This created sympathy for the rebels cause across Ireland, and the campaigning for independence continued.
The event is known as the Easter Rising and is one of the most important events in Irish history.
Click here to read more about the Easter Rising
Click here to read Mise Éire by Pádraig Pearse – number 80 in the most loved Irish poems
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1956 Happy birthday to Kevin Moran, born in Dublin on this day in 1956. Moran was a gifted sportsman, and is one of the few people to have played professional Gaelic football and soccer. He also excelled in both sports.
He won two All-Ireland Senior Football Championships with Dublin in 1976 and 1977. He then switched sports and signed for Manchester United in 1978. He won two FA Cups in 1983 and 1985, and became the first man to be sent off in an FA Cup final in the latter.
Moran also had a long and distinguished career for the national side. He played 71 times and scored six goals. He was a mainstay of the defence during the Republic’s most successful period in their history, playing in the 1988 European Championships and the 1990 World Cup.
Click here to read about the top Irish sports stars
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1957 Daniel Day-Lewis was born on this day in 1957. He is the son of Irish poet Cecil Day-Lewis, and grew up to be a successful actor. Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his portrayal of Christy Brown in 1989 in My Left Foot. He also won Oscars for his roles in There Will Be Blood and Lincoln, in which he played former United States President Abraham Lincoln.
Click here to read about other great Irish actors
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1980 Happy birthday to Kian Egan, born in Sligo on this day in 1980. He was a member of the Irish boyband Westlife, who achieved huge success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At the height of their popularity, they set a record by releasing five singles in a row that went to number one.
Since the band split, Egan has made several television appearances in Ireland and the UK. He is a coach on The Voice of Ireland, where he works as a mentor to pop star wannabes. He also appeared on the 2013 series of UK reality show, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, where celebrities are sent to camp in the Australian jungle, and perform various challenges. He was voted the winner by the British public and crowned the 2013 King of the Jungle.
Here’s Westlife with You Raise Me Up
Click here to read about more Irish singers
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1998 Michelle De Bruin spoke out on this day in 1998, to defend herself and plead her innocence after the drug taking rumours surrounding her gathered pace.
She had won three gold medals in swimming at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, but unproven accusations of her taking performance-enhancing drugs had tarnished her victories.
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2003 Thornton’s Restaurant in Dublin received some welcome and well-deserved publicity on this day in 2003. It was named the 25th best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine. Head chef and founder, Robert Thornton was the first Irish born chef to receive two Michelin stars.
However, he is no stranger to controversy. In 2007, he reportedly stormed from his kitchen and demanded a customer eat some chips after he had cooked following them being specifically requested. When the customer sent them back to the kitchen, Thornton lost his temper and stormed out to confront them.
He has since denied he has any issue with serving chips in his restaurant, but lost his temper in this way because of the rude behaviour and dismissive attitude of this particular customer.
Click here to read about more tourist attractions in Dublin
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