seamus dubhghaill

Promoting Irish Culture and History from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA


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Death of Michael Noyk, Lithuanian-born Irish Republican Lawyer

Michael Noyk, a Lithuanian-born Irish republican lawyer, dies in London on October 22, 1966. He plays a pivotal role in Ireland’s fight for independence, particularly as a solicitor for Sinn Féin and the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence.

Noyk is born on August 12, 1884, in Telšiai, Lithuania, to a Jewish family. His father is from Kovno and his mother from Berlin. His family moves to Dublin when he is one year old. He is educated at Dublin’s The High School and later attends Trinity College Dublin (TCD) as a sizar in Hebrew, winning a classics scholarship and graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1907. Shortly after graduation, he becomes a practicing solicitor in Dublin.

Noyk becomes closely associated with the Irish republican movement through his friendship with Arthur Griffith and joins Sinn Féin shortly after the 1916 Easter Rising. He serves as Griffith’s personal solicitor until Griffith’s death in 1922. He is particularly renowned for defending republican prisoners during the Irish War of Independence, including notable figures like General Seán Mac Eoin, Thomas Whelan, Patrick Moran, James Boyce, and Frank Teeling.

Noyk also acts as election agent for Éamon de Valera in the 1917 East Clare by-election and for Constance Markievicz and Seán T. O’Kelly in the 1918 United Kingdom general election in Ireland. His legal expertise extends to organizing and securing offices for the Dáil ministries, including the Department of Finance under Michael Collins, and supporting the operation of the Dáil Courts, which functions as an alternative judicial system to British courts.

During the Irish War of Independence, Noyk frequently coordinates with Michael Collins on intelligence and administrative matters. He helps investigate British officials’ actions that threaten Dáil finances and provides legal cover for IRA operations. On Bloody Sunday (November 21, 1920), he defends IRA members in British court-martials, arranging alibis and expert witnesses to mitigate convictions where possible.

Throughout his career, Noyk demonstrates a delicate balance between legal practice and revolutionary activity. He is involved in confidential operations to protect assets, people, and information vital to the republican cause.

Noyk marries Mabel Stein, the sister of artist Stella Steyn, and they have four children, living for many years on Wellington Road in Dublin. He is also a prominent figure in Dublin social life, involved in sports as a solicitor for Shamrock Rovers Football Club and in horse racing circles.

Noyk dies on October 22, 1966, in Lewisham Hospital, London. His funeral in Dublin is attended by high-ranking Irish political leaders, and he is buried with full military honors by the IRA’s Dublin Brigade at Dolphins Barn Jewish Cemetery.

Noyk is remembered as a key figure in Ireland’s struggle for independence. His legal skill, political activism, and work with Republican courts and the Department of Finance made him an indispensable ally of Michael Collins and a defender of Irish republicans during some of the most turbulent years in Ireland’s history. His life demonstrates the vital role of legal professionals in revolutionary movements, balancing official channels with clandestine support for political aims.


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Archbishop Giovanni Battista Rinuccini Arrives in Ireland

Archbishop Giovanni Battista Rinuccini arrives in Ireland on October 21, 1645. He is sent by Pope Innocent X to help the Irish Confederate Catholics in their war against English Protestant rule, succeeding the papal envoy there, Pierfrancesco Scarampi.

In the mid-17th century, Ireland is embroiled in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–1653), a conflict between Irish Catholics, English and Scottish Protestants, and Royalist forces loyal to Charles I. Irish Catholics, through the Confederation of Kilkenny, seek the free exercise of their religion, recovery of church lands, and greater political autonomy. Their movement is internally divided between moderate “Old English” landowners advocating compromise with the Royalists, and hardline Gaelic-Irish factions demanding full Catholic control.

On September 15, 1644, Pope Innocent X seeks to bolster the Irish Catholic cause amid the English Civil War. He appoints Giovanni Battista Rinuccini, Archbishop of Fermo, as Papal Nuncio to Ireland, giving him authority to deliver arms, ammunition, and financial support directly to the Confederates. Rinuccini’s mission aligns with the wider Catholic Counter-Reformation strategy, aiming to strengthen Catholic influence politically and militarily.

Rinuccini lands at Kenmare Bay, County Kerry, on October 21, 1645, with a retinue of Italians and Irish officers, as well as a substantial shipment of weapons and funds:

Rinuccini’s entry symbolizes direct papal intervention in Irish affairs, demonstrating both spiritual and temporal support for Catholic aspirations. Rinuccini proceeds to Kilkenny, the Confederate capital, where he is officially received by the Confederate president, Richard Butler, 3rd Viscount Mountgarret, and addresses the Assembly in Latin.

Rinuccini influences Confederate politics by controlling the distribution of arms and money, strengthening the hardline clerical and militant factions, who oppose compromise with the Royalists. He insists on the full restoration of Catholic churches and lands, and opposes treaties offering only religious toleration without Catholic political power. His arrival intensifies divisions between moderates (Old English) and radicals (Gaelic Irish and clergy). This factionalism undermines Confederate unity and contributes to eventual defeats in 1647-1648.

Rinuccini’s arrival marks a turning point in the Irish Confederate Wars. It exemplifies foreign papal support in local conflicts during the Counter-Reformation. Militarily, it temporarily enhances the Confederates’ capacity, exemplified later at the Battle of Benburb (1646). Politically, it deepens internal divisions, which ultimately hinders successful negotiations with Royalist and Parliamentarian forces, leading to the collapse of Confederate resistance.

In summary, Archbishop Giovanni Battista Rinuccini lands in Ireland on October 21, 1645, delivering arms and funds. The significance of his visit is symbolic and practical papal support for Irish Catholics, strengthening of hardline factions, direct influence of military campaigns and political negotiations and the highlighting of the entanglement of religion, diplomacy, and civil war in mid-17th-century Ireland.

The event demonstrates the intersection of international Catholic interests and Irish nationalist-religious aspirations, shaping the course of the Irish Confederate Wars and influencing the fate of the Catholic Church in Ireland for decades.


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The 1794 Kerry By‑Election Duel

On October 20, 1794, during a by‑election for the County Kerry seat in the Irish House of Commons, John Gustavus Crosbie — a colonel in the 22nd Foot and High Sheriff of Kerry — takes offence at remarks made by the sitting MP, Sir Barry Denny, 2nd Baronet.

Denny, who has recently inherited his father’s seat, has publicly promised to remain neutral between the rival candidates, including Crosbie and Colonel Henry Arthur Herbert. Crosbie believes one of Denny’s comments — whether real or perceived — breaches this neutrality, and he issues a formal challenge.

The confrontation culminates in a duel at Oak Park, Tralee. Crosbie, taking careful aim, shoots Sir Barry Denny through the head, killing him instantly. At the time, killing in such disputes is considered an affair of honour, though legally it is premeditated murder.

The killing shocks the political and social elite of County Kerry. Denny is about to be raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Denmore when he dies. The feud between the Crosbie and Denny families is bitter and long‑lasting, lasting for generations.

Crosbie is returned as MP for Kerry following the by‑election, but he dies suddenly on July 6, 1797 after falling from his horse. Local tradition holds that he was poisoned by the Denny family in revenge for the duel.

This incident remains one of the most notorious episodes in 18th‑century Irish political history, illustrating the intense personal rivalries and honour‑driven violence that often accompanied parliamentary contests in Ireland at the time.


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The Dalai Lama Meets John Hume in Belfast

On October 19, 2000, the 14th Dalai Lama visits Belfast, Northern Ireland, as part of his participation in the World Community for World Peace conference. During this trip, he meets with John Hume, Northern Ireland’s veteran politician and fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Hume, a key architect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, is widely respected for his unwavering commitment to dialogue and negotiations in resolving the long-running conflict in Northern Ireland. The Dalai Lama, also a Nobel laureate, praises Hume’s deep conviction in the power of peaceful resolution, noting that his leadership and persistence were instrumental in achieving the historic peace agreement.

The meeting takes place at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, a central venue for political and cultural events in Northern Ireland. The Dalai Lama’s visit is part of a three-day stay in the city, underscoring the shared values of peace, nonviolence, and reconciliation between the two leaders.

This encounter reflects the mutual respect between Hume and the Dalai Lama, both of whom have dedicated their lives to resolving conflicts through dialogue rather than violence.


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Birth of Robert McGladdery, the Last Person Executed in Ireland

Robert Andrew McGladdery, the last person to be executed in Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland, is born on October 18, 1935, in the working class Damolly area of Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland.

McGladdery is raised by his mother, Cissie McGladdery, a respectable woman who works at the local Damolly Mill to support the family. His father dies prior to this period, leaving Cissie to raise four children alone in modest circumstances. Information on his father remains scarce, and while details about his siblings are limited, he has at least one older brother named Sam.

During his teenage years in the Newry area, McGladdery exhibits patterns of truancy and engages in minor troubles that lead to multiple placements in reform school. Locally in Newry, he earns a reputation as a “well-known bad lad,” particularly noted for predatorial behavior toward women. This perception persists into his early adulthood, marking him as a loner with a violently self-willed disposition, as recalled by his mother. He works sporadically as an agricultural laborer in the Newry region, a common occupation for young men in the area during the late 1950s. By age 25 in 1961, however, he is unemployed and continues to reside with his mother in Damolly.

McGladdery is convicted of the murder of Pearl Gamble, aged 19, whom he had battered, strangled and stabbed to death on January 28, 1961, and whose body is discovered at Upper Damolly, near Newry. It transpires that the murderer and victim are distant cousins. Gamble had gone to a dance at the Henry Thomson Memorial Orange Hall in Newry with three girlfriends. She had been seen dancing with her boyfriend and McGladdery.

The murder investigations lead to McGladdery. When interviewed, he states to have worn a dark blue suit but other people at the dance say he wore a light-coloured one. He is put under surveillance and is discreetly seen going to some undergrowth on February 10, 1961. The following day, the police discover, inside a pillow case in a septic tank, an overcoat, a waistcoat and a handkerchief, all of which are heavily bloodstained. McGladdery is arrested on the same day.

At his trial in Downpatrick, McGladdery pleads his innocence but is found guilty and sentenced to death on October 16, 1961. The evening before his execution he allegedly makes a full confession to the murder. He is hanged, aged 26, at Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast on December 20, 1961, by executioner Harry Allen.

A BBC Northern Ireland dramatisation of the case, Last Man Hanging, is broadcast on September 8, 2008. McGladdery is portrayed by Michael Condron.

The murder and subsequent execution is the theme of Eoin McNamee‘s 2010 novel, Orchid Blue.


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Grattan’s Motion Calling for Catholic Emancipation is Defeated

On October 17, 1796, in the Irish House of Commons, Henry Grattan tables a motion calling for Catholic emancipation — the right of Roman Catholics to sit in Parliament — but it is defeated.

Grattan, a leading Irish Whig MP and a key figure in the Irish Parliament’s push for greater autonomy from Britain, has long advocated for reform of the penal laws that exclude Catholics from political life. His motion seeks to remove the legal barriers preventing Catholics from being elected to Parliament, a move that would significantly alter the balance of power in Ireland.

The defeat reflects the deeply entrenched Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland, where Catholic emancipation is seen by many as a threat to the existing social and political order. The British government, under Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, is also wary of Catholic political rights, fearing unrest and challenges to Protestant dominance.

Although the motion fails, it is part of a broader wave of reformist debate in the late 18th century. Grattan’s efforts lay the groundwork for later Catholic emancipation campaigns, culminating in the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which finally allows Catholics to sit in Parliament.

The debate is documented in the Report of Debates in the House of Commons of Ireland, session 1796–7, which records Grattan’s motion alongside other contentious issues of the time, such as the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act and disarming Ulster.

In summary, on October 17, 1796, Henry Grattan’s Catholic emancipation motion is defeated in the Irish House of Commons, underscoring the resistance to Catholic political rights in Ireland at the time, but also marking an early step in the long struggle for reform.


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Birth of Kieran Doherty, Irish Republican Hunger Striker

Kieran Doherty, Irish republican hunger striker and politician who serves as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency from June 1981 to August 1981, is born on October 16, 1955, in the Andersonstown area of Belfast. He is a volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Doherty is the third son in a family of six. He is educated at St. Theresa’s Primary School and Glen Road Christian Brothers School (CBS). The Doherty brothers are known cyclists and sportsmen in the Andersonstown area. He wins an Antrim Gaelic football medal at minor level in 1971.

Doherty joins Fianna Éireann in 1971 and is interned by the British Government between February 1973 and November 1975. His brothers Michael and Terence are interned between 1972 and 1974.

Doherty works as an apprentice heating engineer. His girlfriend is Geraldine Scheiss and, although they never become formally engaged, they become very close toward the end of his life. Before his arrest, she had not known that he is in the IRA.

In August 1976, while he is out to set a bomb, the van in which he is riding is chased by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). During the chase Doherty manages to leave the van and hijack a car. He later ditches the car and is found one mile away from the car. He is convicted and sentenced to 18 years for possession of firearms and explosives, with another four years for the hijack.

Doherty starts his hunger strike on May 22, 1981. While on hunger strike, he is elected as an Anti H-Block TD for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency at the 1981 Irish general election, which is held on June 11. He receives 9,121 (15.1%) first preference votes and is elected on the fourth count. The two seats gained by Anti H-Block candidates denies Taoiseach Charles Haughey the chance to form a government, and the 22nd Dáil Éireann sees a Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition government come to office, with Garret FitzGerald as Taoiseach.

Doherty dies at the age of 25 on August 2, 1981, in HM Prison Maze (known to republicans as Long Kesh) on the 73rd day of his hunger strike, the longest of the 1981 hunger strikers, and only one day short of Terence MacSwiney. He is the shortest-serving Dáil deputy ever, serving as a TD for only two months.

Doherty is commemorated on the Irish Martyrs Memorial at Waverley Cemetery in Sydney, Australia. In October 2016, a painting of him is unveiled in Leinster House by Sinn Féin.


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Birth of Heavyweight Boxing Champion John L. Sullivan

John Lawrence Sullivan, heavyweight boxing champion from 1892 to 1892, is born on October 15, 1858, in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Known as “The Boston Strong Boy,” he becomes one of the most iconic figures in boxing history.

Sullivan is the son of Michael Sullivan from Abbeydorney, County Kerry, and Catherine Kelly from Drum, County Roscommon. He attends public schools in his native Boston, attending the Dwight Grammar School and performing well academically. His parents aspire for their son to enter the priesthood as a Catholic priest. To this end he enrolls at Boston College, but his passion for sports leads him to abandon formal education for professional baseball and later boxing. He quickly gains a reputation for raw power and aggression, earning the nickname “The Boston Strong Boy” during exhibition tours.

On February 7, 1882, Sullivan defeats Paddy Ryan in Mississippi City, Mississippi, winning the bare-knuckle championship of America. On August 29, 1885, he wins the Marquess of Queensberry Rules title from Dominick McCaffrey, becoming the first heavyweight champion under gloved rules. His 1889 knockout of Jake Kilrain under the old rules makes him the last bare-knuckle heavyweight champion.

Sullivan holds the gloved heavyweight title from 1882 to 1892, with a record of 41–1–3 and 33 knockouts.

Sullivan’s fights are widely covered by newspapers, helping to launch modern sports journalism in the United States. He is one of the highest-paid athletes of his era, earning over $75,000 for a single bout. His “I can lick any man in the house” challenge becomes a symbol of Irish American defiance and determination.

After retiring in 1892, Sullivan opens the John L. Sullivan’s Theatre in New York City. He marries Annie Bates Lord in 1883 and has one daughter, Helen. He struggles with alcohol after his defeat to James J. Corbett in 1892 but later lectures against alcoholism. He dies at the age of 59 on February 2, 1918, in Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Roslindale, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

Sullivan’s career transforms boxing from an underground, often illegal pastime into a national spectacle. He remains a cultural icon, celebrated in literature, film, and sports history.


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Earl of Tyrone’s Spirit Reportedly Appears to Lady Nicola Sophia Hamilton

John Power, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, dies on October 14, 1693. Shortly afterward his spirit reportedly appears to Lady Nicola Sophia Hamilton, widow of Sir Tristram Beresford, 3rd Baronet. The tale is one of Ireland’s most famous ghost stories, recorded in the 1700s by Lady Betty Cobbe, granddaughter of Lady Beresford.

John Power and Lady Beresford are orphans raised by an atheist guardian who tries to convert them to his beliefs. Despite this, they retain their belief in life after death and make a solemn vow: the first to die will reappear to the other to prove the existence of an afterlife.

After the Earl’s death, Lady Beresford claims to see him standing beside her bed. He tells her he has just died and reminds her of their pact. He prophesies that her husband will die, she will remarry, she will have four children and she will die on her 47th birthday.

To confirm the vision, the Earl allegedly grabs her wrist, causing it to shrink and wither. She wears a black silk ribbon for the rest of her life to conceal the mark.

Lady Beresford’s husband does die as foretold, she does remarry and she does have four children. However, she does not die on her 47th birthday, as the prophecy stated.

On Lady Beresford’s 48th birthday, she celebrates with friends, including a clergyman. When she says, “I am 48 today,” the clergyman corrects her, saying she is 47. He explains he had checked her birth registry days earlier. She cries, “You have signed my death warrant!” Later that night she makes her will and dies.

The story has been recounted in multiple versions, including in Diaries of a Lady of Quality, where it is linked to further family events and a missing ring. It remains a staple in Irish ghost folklore, celebrated for its eerie accuracy and the tragic, haunting ending.

(Pictured: Portrait of Nicola Sophia Hamilton by Irish portraitist, Garret Morphy, courtesy of Howth Castle)


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Birth of Rónán Mullen, Senator & Human Dignity Alliance Leader

Rónán Thomas Mullen, Irish independent senator and leader of the Human Dignity Alliance, known for his advocacy of social conservative values, particularly on pro-life and family issues, is born on October 13, 1970, in County Galway.

Mullen grows up in the rural village of Ahascragh. He studies French and English at University College Galway (UCG), serving as president of the Students’ Union during 1991–92, and later completes a master’s degree in journalism at Dublin City University (DCU) in 1993. He trains as a barrister at King’s Inns, winning the Irish Times Debate during his studies, and is called to the Bar in 2003. Since 2001, he also works as a lecturer in law, communications, and personal development at the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown in Dublin.

Mullen is first elected to Seanad Éireann (the Irish Senate) in 2007 for the National University of Ireland constituency, and has been continuously re-elected in 2011, 2016, 2020, and 2025, often topping the poll among NUI graduates. In 2018, he founds the Human Dignity Alliance, an anti-abortion political party. He is also affiliated with the European Christian Political Party (ECPP).

Mullen has built his career around social conservative causes:

  • Anti-abortion advocacy: He opposes the repeal of the Eighth Amendment and seeks stronger protections for conscientious objection among medical staff.
  • Opposition to same-sex marriage: He is prominent during the 2015 referendum opposing constitutional changes related to marriage.
  • Human rights and palliative care: He introduces bills and motions promoting hospice care and the protection of vulnerable adults.
  • Freedom of conscience and family values: He advocates policies emphasizing parental rights in education, ethical protections, and support for families.
  • International advocacy: He criticizes human rights abuses in China, the treatment of religious minorities, and European Union (EU) bureaucratic overreach, while seeking Ireland’s engagement on human dignity standards internationally.

Mullen serves as a delegate to the Council of Europe (CoE) in Strasbourg, representing Ireland in the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), where he works on committees addressing migration, population, health, and family affairs. He authors a report on palliative care in Europe, advocating evidence-based approaches to end-of-life care.

A lifelong practicing Roman Catholic, Mullen emphasizes the principle of human dignity in both politics and daily life, integrating faith and reason in his ethical framework. He maintains a connection to Irish culture and the Irish language, and has engaged in public discussions on moral and social issues, grounding his positions in Catholic teaching without seeking to impose religious law.

In summary, Mullen is a long-standing independent Irish senator influential in debates on social policy, ethics, and human rights. His career is marked by consistent advocacy for pro-life positions, family integrity, and freedom of conscience, alongside active engagement in European and international policy discussions on human dignity and social justice.