Happy 12th July to any Northern readers of that persuasion.
1691- The Battle of Aughrim was fought in Co. Galway. King William’s army defeated the Jacobites, although it was close. The Williamites were actually starting to retreat when the Jacobite Commander, General St Ruth, was killed by a cannonball. The Jacobite cavalry immediately turned and fled and changed the course of Irish history (again). Although far fewer men were engaged than at the Boyne the previous year, Aughrim was the bloodiest battle fought in Ireland to date, with 7,000 dead.
1712- Richard Cromwell died. Son of Oliver, Richard was one time Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland until he was ousted by the Rump Parliament shortly before the Restoration of the Monarchy.
1857- During the period 12 July to 25 September 1857 in Lucknow, India, Lance-Corporal Abraham Boulger from Kilcullen, Co Kildare, distinguished himself in all 12 actions fought by his regiment, the 84th Foot. He was one of the party which stormed the bridge over the canal on the relief of the Residency and shot a gunner who was in the act of firing a 68-pounder in the face of the British troops. He was also the first man to enter a masked battery. In the subsequent defence of the Residency he was severely wounded. For his actions he was awarded a VC. L/Cpl Boulger worked his way up to the rank of Lt-Col and died in Co. Westmeath in 1900. He is buried in Ballymore Churchyard.
Another Irish member of the 84th Foot was Pte Patrick Mylott from Claremorris, Co. Mayo. For his bravery over the same period he was elected by his comrades to receive a VC. Pat however finished his career as a Sgt and died in Liverpool in 1878.
1949- Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland, died.
1984- Michael McGovern was born in Enniskillen. He has just moved from Celtic to Dundee United where he will play in goal.
1992- Albert Pierrepont, the last British hangman died. He was hangman for the Irish Free State during WW2. In all, he hanged 433 men and 17 women.
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