Along with disappointment & disillusionment, rage & pain, Maeve Binchy's (b. #OTD 1939) view of the world also included a reassuring belief in human goodness, resilience and recovery. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages. dib.ie/biography/binc… #DIBLives

Born #OTD 1774, Francis Beaufort's desire for objectivity & accuracy in meteorological observation led to the development of his wind scale in 1806 which, although amended several times, is still in use. dib.ie/biography/beau… #DIBLives

‘For people of my generation, she personified an idea of Ireland’ (Brien Friel). Siobhan McKenna (b. #OTD 1922) was pre-eminent among those who brought the works of the Irish literary revival to the national & international stage in the C20th. dib.ie/biography/mcke… #DIBLives

#OTD 1798 mail coaches leaving Dublin were halted, signalling the start of the 1798 Rebellion. However, the organisation had been damaged by a network of spies & the arrest of key leaders, including Lord Edward Fitzgerald who was fatally wounded. dib.ie/biography/fitz… #DIBLives

‘Eva threw her whole soul into the national movement...No native of Ireland in past or present history ever devoted a life more constantly or consistently to the service of the country than [she] did.' Mary 'Eva of the Nation' Kelly d. #OTD 1910. dib.ie/biography/kell… #DIBLives

Describing himself as a crank, that is ‘a small instrument that makes revolutions’, pacifist, suffragist, teetotaller, vegetarian & anti-vivisectionist Francis Sheehy-Skeffington was arrested #OTD 1916. He was executed without trial the next day. dib.ie/biography/skef… #DIBLives

Happy #WorldBeeDay ! According to legend MoDomnóc (St Dominicus) introduced bees to Ireland when they followed him here from his garden in Wales. His contemporary, Gobnait, is patron saint of beekeepers. dib.ie/biography/mo-d… dib.ie/biography/gobn… #DIBLives

This week we are featuring some extraordinary Irish women in honour of #NollaignamBan . Mary Ann McCracken campaigned for the abolition of slavery, and argued that the liberty & equality sought by the United Irishmen should be extended to women. dib.ie/biography/mccr… #DIBLives

#NewEntries Co-founder of the CRC Kathleen O'Rourke had a singular impact on health & well-being in C20th Ireland. With tireless energy & determination she promoted exercise for women, empowered expectant mothers & ensured the success of the CRC. dib.ie/biography/orou… #DIBLives

Given a Red Cross insignia & a white flag, #OTD 1916 Elizabeth O'Farrell walked out into heavy fire in the Moore St area & approached an army barricade. Initially thought a spy, she returned with the demand for an unconditional surrender. dib.ie/biography/ofar… #DIBLives

Ireland's national biographical dictionary Dictionary of Irish Biography became #OpenAccess #OTD in 2021.

An authoritative reference work of nearly 11,000 lives telling the island's life story, is now freely accessible to all online: bit.ly/4a8joTa

#DIBlives #StPatricksDay

#NewEntries Born c1516, Jane Nugent was abducted and married at the age of just 11. When her husband's involvement in the Desmond & Baltinglass rebellions forced him into exile, she was imprisoned for treason ostensibly for sending him shirts. dib.ie/biography/nuge… #DIBLives

'Though his heart is Irish, it beats for all the world.’ #OTD 1838 Dubliner Richard Allen presented the ‘Ladies’ petition of Ireland against slavery' to Queen Victoria. In 1840 he was a delegate to the world anti-slavery convention in London. dib.ie/biography/alle… #DIBLives

#OTD 1916 members of the Irish Volunteers & Irish Citizen Army mustered at several locations in central Dublin for the planned Easter Rising. Patrick Pearse read out the Proclamation of the Republic from the GPO, which became their HQ. dib.ie/biography/pear… #DIBLives

#NewEntries ‘There is nothing we can teach Miss Barnes. We have been acquainted with her exquisite drawings for years.’ Museum artist Eileen Barnes was a gentle unobtrusive personality who contributed significantly to Irish culture & heritage. dib.ie/biography/barn… #DIBLives

#NewEntries Celtic Football & Athletic Club was inaugurated in 1887 as a charitable fundraising vehicle & recreational resource for local Catholics. Fr Walfrid Kerins advocated for the name Celtic to encompass both an Irish & Scottish identity. dib.ie/biography/keri… #DIBLives

'But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not.' This month's blog, 'Unsung heroes', remembers some of the Irish men and women who formed part of the resistance during World War II. dib.ie/blog/unsung-he… #DIBLives

#NewEntries 'I shouted the required words with wild gusto, slipping into what became Fr Jack’s accent instinctively.' Although an acclaimed stage & screen actor, Frank Kelly will forever be associated with drunken, foul-mouthed Fr Jack Hackett. dib.ie/biography/kell… #DIBLives

During the Rising Margaret Skinnider served in the ICA's St Stephen's Green contingent under the command of Michael Mallin. #OTD 1916 she was shot & critically wounded while attempting to cut off a retreating British sniping party. dib.ie/biography/skin… #DIBLives

#NewEntries A precise & expert calligrapher, Myra Maguire was the most accomplished Irish heraldic artist of the C20th. In the 1960s she designed the heraldic banners in St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle where Irish presidents are inaugurated. dib.ie/biography/magu… #DIBLives