#NewLives ‘A voice not only for peace but for reconciliation, for recognising all traditions & beliefs on the island of Ireland.’ The New Ireland Movement founded by surgeon & peace activist John Robb, focused on non-violent consensus across religious & political divides. www.dib.ie/biography/ro...

#NewLives 'The voice of a saint trapped in a glass harp.’ From an early age, Dolores O’Riordan used her lyrics and songwriting to reflect and process her emotions; her words provided the framework for the band, but her voice that gave The Cranberries their unique sound. www.dib.ie/biography/or...

#DIBLives Printer, politician, anti-slavery activist & internationalist Alfred John Webb (d. #OTD 1908) connected Irish reform movements with campaigns for justice across the world. He made history in 1894 as the second non-Indian President of the Indian National Congress. www.dib.ie/biography/we...

#DIBLives "Nobody is ordinary if you know where to look." Along with disappointment and disillusionment, rage and pain, Maeve Binchy's view of the world also included a reassuring belief in human goodness, resilience and recovery. She died #OTD 2012. www.dib.ie/biography/bi...

#DIBLives Comhghairdeas le Maigh Eo on winning the Sam Maguire cup for the first time in 75 years. The last Mayo captain to lift the cup was Seán Flanagan when he captained the county to back-to-back All-Ireland championships in 1950 and 1951. www.dib.ie/biography/fl...

#DIBLives In 1610 cartographer John Speed (d. #OTD 1629) created one of the most famous early detailed records of Ireland. His 'Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine' split the island into its four historic provinces and featured the earliest known street map of Dublin. www.dib.ie/biography/sp...

#DIBLives Antarctic explorer Tom Crean (d. #OTD 1938) spent more time in the Antarctic than Scott or Shackleton; he was awarded the Albert Medal and the Polar Medal with 3 Antarctic clasps. The Crean Glacier in South Georgia and Mount Crean in Antarctica are named for him. www.dib.ie/biography/cr...

The latest edition of our newsletter, 'Life Lines' is now available. Read our new entries, our blogs on the 1926 census and how the Irish holidayed in the past, and our featured biography of Gillian Bowler. mailchi.mp/ria.ie/lifel...

#DIBLives 'Humanity Martin'. Introduced #OTD 1822, The Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act was the first known piece of animal welfare legislation in the world. It was introduced by Galway-born MP Richard Martin and became known as 'Martin's Act' in his honour. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

#DIBLives Humour and laughter were the essence of John B. Keane and his work: the earthy humour of rural Ireland, the humour of human foibles and the quirky humour that comes from the deliberate juxtaposition of the mundane and the exotic. He was born #OTD 1928. www.dib.ie/biography/ke...

#DIBLives Comhghairdeas le Luimneach! Fittingly the first MacCarthy Cup, purchased by London-born Liam MacCarthy with a Dáil national loan and presented to the GAA in 1922, was won by Limerick in the 1921 All-Ireland hurling final (played in 1923 because of the civil war). www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

#DIBLives 'Tell them I have done my duty.' General of Antrim & Commander-in-Chief of the United Irish army of the north, Henry Joy McCracken was court-martialled & sentenced to death. He was executed #OTD 1798 having refused to name other leaders in exchange for clemency. www.dib.ie/biography/mc...

#DIBLives Kinsale-born sailor Tim McCarthy (b. #OTD 1887) was aboard 'The Endurance' when it was crushed by ice in November 1915. He was awarded the polar medal for his part in sailing 1,450km through the treacherous seas of the South Atlantic to get help. www.dib.ie/biography/mc...

#DIBLives The first woman elected to the British parliament and the only female cabinet minister in the first Dáil Éireann, revolutionary, nationalist, labour activist, suffragist and politician Constance Markievicz died #OTD 1927. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

#NewBlog Postcards produced by 1950s photographer John Hinde showed an Ireland of red-haired children, endless sunshine and cottages by a bright sea. In this month's blog 'Are we there yet?' Niav Gallagher looks at how Irish holidays have evolved over the last 200 years. www.dib.ie/blog/are-we-...

#DIBLives Recognised for wearing two sprigs of shamrock on his tennis shirt, Monaghan-born James Cecil Parke reached the men's singles semi-finals of #Wimbledon on two occasions & the doubles finals on four. He and Ethel Larcombe won the Wimbledon mixed doubles in 1914. www.dib.ie/biography/pa...

#DIBLives “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” “Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.” “Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.” Philosopher and politician Edmund Burke died #OTD 1797. www.dib.ie/biography/bu...

#NewLives On 2 September 1911 barrister & judge Redmond John Barry was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, reportedly the youngest ever. His youth & religion seemed to signal a shift away from the typical demographic, but severe mental health issues cut his career short. www.dib.ie/biography/ba...

#NewLives Architect Frederick MacManus helped design Silver End, a model village for workers at the Crittall Windows Ltd factory in Essex, among the earliest modernist-style buildings in Britain & regarded as some of ‘the most remarkable housing’ built there in the 1920s. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

#NewLives One of Ireland's earliest & most influential speech therapists, Miriam Gallagher was also a writer of range & vision, who combined an acute awareness of human frailty with history and myth to form ‘an intriguing assortment of stories and mysterious characters.' www.dib.ie/biography/ga...

On 4 July, as the US marks its independence, it's also a chance to celebrate the enduring ties between Ireland and America. One such story is that of John Dunlap. Discover more on the @dib.ie website: www.dib.ie/biography/du...

#DIBLives '[I will]...strain every nerve to effectuate a modification of the law of Poynings.' A superb orator and a determined advocate of constitutional and political rights, Henry Grattan (b. #OTD 1746) gave his name to the parliamentary period 1782-1800. www.dib.ie/biography/gr...

#DIBLives Demonstrating qualities of leadership & strategy, Fr John Murphy led key insurgent victories at Oulart Hill & Enniscorthy before defeat at Vinegar Hill. He was captured at Tullow, Co. Carlow, court-martialled and, #OTD 1798 flogged and hanged in the town square. www.dib.ie/biography/mu...

'...And where the earth was soft for flowers we made A grave for him that he might better rest...' (Francis Ledwidge, 'A Soldier's Grave') #OTD 1916 the Battle of the Somme began. Between 1 July and mid-November more than 3 million fought and 1 million died. www.dib.ie/biography/le... #DIBLives

#DIBLives #OTD 1922 a huge explosion at the Public Records Office in the Four Courts destroyed centuries of Irish administrative, legal & genealogical records. @virtualtreasury.bsky.social has spent years recreating many of these records & made them freely available to the public. virtualtreasury.ie

#DIBLives "If I did wrong in making that appeal to Irishmen to join with me in an effort to fight for Ireland, it is by Irishmen, and by them alone, I can be rightfully judged." #OTD 1916 Roger Casement was found guilty of treason and was sentenced to death. www.dib.ie/biography/ca...

#DIBLives Finally, to mark #Pride2026 we are featuring celebrated musician and activist Philip Chevron of The Pogues and The Radiators, writer of the heartfelt 'Under Clery's clock' about his yearning for love as a gay man in 1980s Dublin. www.dib.ie/biography/ch...

#DIBLives Cast as the kid brother of the group, 'the dreamy one', Boyzone's Stephen Gately was among the first of many prominent Irish men and women who came out publicly as gay. He came out in 1999, probably to preempt his outing by a former bodyguard. www.dib.ie/biography/ga... #Pride2026

A huge thank you to Oliver Callan and his team @rteradio1.bsky.social for a most enjoyable discussion on the links between Ireland and the US.

Royal Irish Academy@ria.ie · last mo.

Ahead of the 4th of July, Niav Gallagher from the @dib.ie joined Oliver Callan on @rteradio1.bsky.social to reveal the remarkable Irish stories behind America’s beginnings and some more recent Irish influence in the US. 🎧 Listen back: www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

#DIBLives Next in our #Pride2026 series is music broadcaster and DJ Vincent ‘Fab Vinnie’ Hanley. Together with Connor McAnally, he set up Apple Green which produced Europe's first music video show, MT USA, and influenced the music and lifestyles of a generation. www.dib.ie/biography/ha...