Now, to bring this forum fully up to date, the day's historical happenings:

1395 - Richard II returns to England on this date, confident that Gaelic Irish power has been checked
1600 - Sent by Queen Elizabeth to quell the rumblings of discontent in Ulster, Sir Henry Docwra lands at Culmore with a force of 4000 foot and 200 horse soldiers; modern Derry is thereby founded
1621 - Sir Henry Docwra is created Baron Docwra of Culmore
1732 - Sir John Blaquiere, Chief Secretary and politician, is born
1753 - Isaac Corry, opposition politician, Volunteer, and Chancellor of the Exchequer is born in Newry, Co. Down
1808 - Michael Balfe, operatic composer, is born in Dublin
1829- Elected to the office of minister of Parliament for Co. Clare by recently enfranchised Catholics, O'Connell presents himself at the bar of the House of Commons, but is asked to withdraw for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy
1847 - Daniel O'Connell, "The Liberator," dies in Genoa. His body is returned to Ireland and buried in Glasnevin Cemetery
1867 - Eoin MacNeill, Gaelic scholar and co-founder of the Gaelic League, is born in Glenarm, Co. Antrim
1940 - Proinsias de Rossa, politician and leader of Democratic Left, is born in Dublin
1990 - The Church of Ireland votes for women priests

Ah poor richard, how wrong he was, and how such confidence dearly cost him.

I'll take this opportunity to wish Proinsias De Rossa a very happy birthday. I love his name, it sounds so much better than Francis Ross. It's a country mile better than Caomghín O'Caoláin.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

I'll take this opportunity to wish Proinsias De Rossa a very happy birthday. I love his name, it sounds so much better than Francis Ross. It's a country mile better than Caomghín O'Caoláin.

I once had a lecturer called Cathal Ó hÁinle, whose real name was Charles Hanley. I wouldn't be surprised if such disparity in nomenclature produced a dichotomy in personality.

The pronunciation of first name doesn't transform poetically in the Irish language, doesn't change at all actually. Which is a little disappointing.