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May
Battle of
Chancellorsville
On Mat 2 thru 4, The Irish
Brigade under the command of General
Thomas F. Meagher was
so decimated in the battle that he resigned from command.
However, by December of 1863 he was back in a command
position under General William T. Sherman and ultimately won
a gold medal, for leadership of his Irish Brigade, from the
state of New York.
Amnesty Report
On May 2, 1978 - Amnesty International released a report that reaffirmed and presented new evidence on the use of systematic torture by the British authorities on Irish POW's in the occupied six Irish counties .
Fr. Aloysius Roche
On May 2, 1957 - Fr. Aloysius Roche
died. During the 1916 Easter Rising he brought spiritual aid to the Volunteers in the numerous garrisons and outposts throughout Dublin.
IRA volunteers Repel British
troops at Tourmakeady
On May 3,
1921 - IRA volunteers under the command of Tom Maguire
fight off 600 English troops at
Tourmakeady in , Co.
Mayo.
Leaders of the 1916 Rising executed
On May 3, 1916 - Leaders of the Easter Rising Padraig Pearse, Thomas McDonagh and Thomas Clarke were executed by the British in Kilmainham jail in Dublin.
More leaders of the 1916 Rising executed
On May 4, 1916 - Willie Pearse, Joseph Plunkett, Edward Daly and Michael O'Halloran were executed for their leadership roles the Easter Rising.
Ancient Order of Hibernians
Founded
On May 4, 1836 -- the Ancient
Order of Hibernians in America is founded in New York City
Bobby Sands
On May 5, 1981 - Bobby Sands died on hunger strike in Long Kesh.
John McBride
On May 5, 1916 - John McBride was executed by the British for his leadership role in the Easter Rising.
Phoenix
Park assassinations
On May 6, 1882 - the
assassination of the British chief secretary of Ireland,
Lord Frederick Cavendish, and his under secretary, T.H.
Burke were stabbed to death as they walk in Dublin's Phoenix
Park by members of a nationalist secret society, the “Invincibles”.
The attack is attributed to the Fenians.
Easter Rising Executions
On May 8, 1916 - Con Colbert, Eamonn Cannt, Michael Mallon, Sean Heuston and Thomas Kent were executed by the British for their role in the Easter Rising.
Frankie Hughes
On May 12, 1981 - Frankie Hughes dies on hunger strike in Long Kesh.
Sean Hogan rescued
On May 13, 1919 - Sean Hogan one of the "Big Four" IRA leaders from Tipperary was rescued from a train that was taking him to Cork by Sean Tracy, Dan Breen, Seamus Robinson and other volunteers from Limerick.
Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
On May 17, 1974 - 34 people were killed when British intelligence agents and Loyalists terrorists set off bombs in Dublin and Monaghan resulting in the single largest loss of life during the latest phase of Ireland's struggle for unity.
Raymond McCreesh and Patsy O Hara
On May 21, 1981 - Ray McCreesh and Patsy O'Hara died on hunger strike in Long Kesh.
Special Non-Jury Courts
On May 26, 1972 the 26-county authorities,
set up the Special Non-Jury Court to assist the British cope with the War of Liberation in the occupied counties.
Battle of Enniscorthy
On May 29, 1798 -
Wexford insurgents, under the command of Father Murphy of
Boolavogue, a priest who had been in dispute with his bishop
and who had reluctantly stepped forward as leader capture
the town of Enniscorthy. The attack began at about 1
P.M, when the insurgents drove a herd of cattle through the
towns’s Duffry gate, creating disorder among the loyalist
defenders. After a defense of about 3 hours, the loyalist
force abandoned the town and fled in great disorder to
Wexford.
Death of
Michael Davitt,
On May 30, 1906 -
Michael Davitt, "Father" of the Irish Land League died. He
was born at the height of the Great Famine. At four, his
family was evicted and forced to emigrate to England. He
joined the Fenians in 1865, became organizing secretary and
was arrested in 1870 for arms smuggling. Released after
seven years, he returned to County Mayo as a national hero.
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