The origin of the Steeplechase is attributed to a 4.5-mile match race between Buttevant and Doneraile, County Cork, across natural countryside, beginning and ending at the eponymous steeples of each town. This informal race started a trend of cross-country racing.
Read the full story →On September 2, 1752, Ireland, along with Great Britain and its overseas possessions, officially adopted the Gregorian calendar. This change meant that September 2nd was immediately followed by September 14th, effectively skipping 11 days. The adoption brought Ireland into alignment with most of Western Europe, which had already transitioned from the Julian calendar. This reform had significant implications for daily life, record-keeping, and the synchronization of religious and civil observances across the country.
Read the full story →On September 14, 1752, Ireland, along with Great Britain and its colonies, officially adopted the Gregorian calendar. This change meant that the day after September 2, 1752, became September 14, effectively skipping 11 days. The reform was enacted to correct the accumulated error of the Julian calendar, which had caused the calendar year to drift from the astronomical year. While initially met with some public confusion and protest, the adoption brought Ireland into alignment with much of Catholic Europe.
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