Cork-born Danny La Rue dies at 81 Cork-born Danny La Rue dies at 81 Tue, Jun 2, 2009, 01:00 TRIBUTES WERE last night paid to Cork-born entertainer and female impersonator Danny La Rue who passed away at his home in Kent on Sunday night at the age of 81 following a short illness. La Rue, whose real name was Daniel Patrick Carroll, was born in Madden’s Buildings near Blackpool in Cork on July 26th, 1927, but his father died when he was just 18 months old and his mother moved the family to London when he was nine. Years later, when firmly established as Britain’s leading cross- dressing artist, La Rue joked to an audience at a show in Cork: “See what they did to me in England – I left in short pants and I’ve come back in a frock.” He was a regular visitor to Cork in the 1960s and 1970s, where he performed to a packed Cork Opera House. La Rue’s last performance in his native Cork was in 2005 when he played for a week at the Everyman Palace Theatre.

Declan Hassett – a playwright, former theatre critic of the Irish Examinerand author of a book on Cork comedians, Make ’Em Laugh– recalled seeing La Rue’s performance in the Everyman Palace Theatre during that run. “It turned out to be his final visit home and his audience loved the performance in the Everyman Palace – Danny was very nostalgic and deeply moved by the great reception he got,” said Mr Hassett. Everyman Palace director Pat Talbot said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of La Rue’s passing and similarly recalled how emotional he became at playing in his native city after an absence of over 20 years. “We brought Danny over as part of Cork’s tenure as Capital of Culture in 2005 and he was very grateful and very humbled by our invitation – he played for a week and went down superbly well and was really moved by the reaction. ADVERTISEMENT “He hadn’t played here since the early 1980s and he actually thought Cork might have forgotten him. He used to go to Mass every morning in St Augustine’s . . .

Older people in the congregation had recognised him and came up to him afterwards and younger people started coming up to him – he was very emotional about the reception he got both in the streets and every night here at the Everyman Palace.” Mr Talbot said La Rue was a devout Catholic and open about his homosexuality and saw no contradiction in that. “He was a very compassionate man and very generous – he had been very wealthy but lost his money due to bad business decisions, but he regularly helped out friends in hard times.” La Rue’s career as a female impersonator began when he donned a wig and eyelashes during a stint in the Royal Navy at a concert party at the end of the second World War. He spent years in repertory and variety before becoming a West End star in the late 1950s He opened his own nightclub in London in 1964, where celebrities such as Judy Garland, Warren Beatty, Shirley MacLean, Shirley Bassey, Noel Coward, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Elizabeth Taylor were all patrons.

A regular on TV on The Good Old Days, La Rue received an OBE in the 2002 queen’s birthday honours list, but he suffered a stroke in 2006. He appeared in a biographical show Hello Dannyin 2007. July - Today in Irish History - Irish phrases and sayings you need to know Hits: 93 July 1 1681 - Despite witnesses against him being discredited, Oliver Plunkett is hanged, drawn and quartered in London 1690 - Battle of the Boyne; the Jacobite forces (Irish, French, Germans and Walloons) are defeated by the Williamites (Irish, English, Dutch, Germans and Danes).

The Williamite victory, being seen as a defeat for Louis XIV, is welcomed by Pope Alexander VIII 1701 - A public holiday is proclaimed for the inauguration of a statue of William III at College Green, Dublin 1798 - Rebels remain in camp at Kilcavan 1867 - Thomas Francis Meagher, Young Ireland leader, dies 1899 - Birth of singer Cavan O’Connor 1916 - The Somme offensive begins. The 36th (Ulster) Division suffers heavy casualties 1924 - The Irish Free State Aer Corps is established 1979 - The Boomtown Rats featuring Bob Geldof enter the British charts at no. 13 with I Don't Like Mondays, and eventually reach #1 1990 - The Republic of Ireland plays in the World Cup Finals for the first time. They are defeated 0-1 by Italy in the quarter-finals; an estimated half a million people take to the streets of Dublin to welcome the team home 1998 - Northern Ireland's new Assembly meets for the first time amid the growing crisis over the Drumcree Orange Order parade in Portadown.

A new era in power-sharing between unionists and nationalists in Northern Ireland begins with David Trimble and Seamus Mallon elected First Minister and Deputy First Minister respectively to the new Assembly. Sinn Féin delegates abstain from the first-ever vote in the Assembly, while anti-Agreement unionists vote solidly against the two appointments 2000 - More than 1,000 Westlife fans besiege Sligo City Hall when their heroes are awarded the freedom of the city 2001 - Ireland's national minimum wage increases from £4.40 an hour to £4.70 an hour.

July 2 1790 - In an election for Speaker of the Irish parliament, John Foster defeats William Brabazon Ponsonby by 145 votes to 105 1798 - Rebels defeat small force of Yeomanry at Ballraheen Hill; they move to camp at Croghan 1800 - The British Act of Union is passed 1819 - Edward Vaughan Kenealy, barrister and writer, is born in Cork 1869 - Birth of one of Ireland’s greatest ever tennis players, Joshua Prine, who won the Wimbledon singles in 1893 and 1894 1874 - Isaac Butt's Home Rule motion defeated in House of Commons 458-6 1903 - One of the greatest motoring events is held in Ireland - the Gordon Bennett Race, sponsored by James Gordon Bennett, owner of the New York Herald 1957 - Bridie Gallagher reaches no.

1 in the Irish charts with "The Boys From The County Armagh" 1958 - The Industrial Development Act is passed to encourage an influx of foreign capital 1970 - Irish Catholic bishops announce that it is no longer obligatory to abstain from eating meat on Friday 1970 - Following his arrest on May 28 for allegedly importing arms for the IRA, Neil Blaney is discharged 2000 - Joey Dunlop, motorcycle racer and humanitarian worker, dies in an accident during a race in Estonia 2000 - The 25th anniversary of St. Oliver Plunkett's canonization is celebrated in Drogheda, Co. Armagh 2000 - Navan-born jockey, Johnny Murtagh, rides Sinndar to an easy victory at the Budweiser Irish Derby 2001 - Ireland bids bon voyage to the relics of St Therese of Lisieux at the end of an 11-week tour which organisers claim drew three million onlookers. July 3 1746 - Henry Grattan, Irish statesman, is born in Dublin 1798 - Remnants of Southern column reach Croghan. Fr.

John Murphy dies at the hands of his captors 1952 - Bord Fáilte - The Irish Tourist Board, is founded 1976 - Former Boyzone band-member, Shane Lynch, is born in Dublin 1998 - Boyzone heart-throbs, Ronan Keating and Keith Duffy, throw a belated wedding bash for dozens of showbiz friends in Co. Wicklow; Hello! magazine picks up the expenses in exchange for exclusive photo coverage rights 2000 - The Taoiseach's brother, Maurice Ahern, is elected Lord Mayor of Dublin; Fine Gael's P. J. Hourican, a native of Co. Longford, is elected Lord Mayor of Cork; Sinn Féin's Sean McManus is elected Mayor of Sligo 2001 - The National Museum of Ireland launches a new range of craft and souvenir items which range in price from just £1 for a biro (pen) with the museum logo to £10,000 for a unique, hand crafted piece of jewellery.

July 4 1653 - Ireland and Scotland are represented by six and five members respectively in the 'Barebones' parliament 1690 - James II flees to France for assistance after his defeat by William of Orange 1921 - Awaiting truce with the English, Eamon De Valera orders the American flag flown in Dublin to "emphasize the principle for which we are fighting" 1798 - Rebels remain in camp at Croghan; General Needham prepares attack on Croghan camp 1878 - Birth of George M.

Cohan in Providence, Rhode Island 1998 - It is announced that outgoing US Ambassador Jean Kennedy-Smith is to be made an honorary Irish citizen in recognition of her contribution to the peace process 1999 - Posh Spice Victoria Adams and England and Manchester United soccer star David Beckham are married at Dublin castle 2000 - Major international survey reveals that Irish workers pay the lowest tax rates in the European Union - even though pay rates are just barely below the EU average 2001 - The Orange order puts new proposals to the Parades Commission in an attempt to reverse the decision to divert next Sunday’s Orange Order march from the Garvaghy Road. July 5 1790 - The Irish mail coach makes its first run from Dublin to Waterford 1798 - Rebels break camp and march north. They collide with a government force led by General Duff. They retreat south and turn to fight Duff at Ballygullen, near Craanford. The battle is indecisive but with three other Government columns converging on them, the rebels divide into two columns and retreat south. The smaller column moves west and into the hills near Carnew.

It eventually makes its way to Glenmalure where it joins up with a group of Wicklow rebels. The main column retreats south to Carrigrew; that evening it marches north and camps in the Wicklow Mountains 1812 - Frederick Maning, judge and writer among the Maori, is born in Johnville, Co. Dublin 1828 - Daniel O’Connell wins the Clare election 1838 - The Board of Trinity College decrees the establishment of a Chair of Irish 1936 - Brendan Halligan, economist, Labour politician and Europhile, is born in Dublin 1950 - Veronica Guerin, crime journalist, is born in Dublin 1993 - U2 releases "Zooropa" worldwide, except in North America which will get the album a day later 1998 - All bus services in Belfast are suspended as riots spread across the city 2000 - Storms cause tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage and leave thousands of homes without power 2001 - A two-year project to transcribe the official records of Dáil debates since 1919 is completed; the entire archive is available at Ireland Gov.

2002 - A new EU survey shows that electricity costs for the Irish consumer are among the cheapest in Europe, but gas users are paying some of the highest rates 2002 - Over €2 billion is wiped off the value of companies on the Irish stock exchange as markets around the world continue to see sharp falls amid concerns about improper accounting standards. July 6 1815 - Charles Bianconi, opens his first horse-drawn coach service, between Clonmel and Cahir, Co. Tipperary, a distance of 10 miles 1868 - Death of songwriter and novelist Samuel Lover.

His compositions included Widow Machree, The Low Backed Car and Molly Bawn 1907 - The Irish Crown Jewels vanish from Dublin Castle, never to be found 1937 - Birth of Dave Allen, comedian 1940 - Birth of Mary Peters, Olympic gold medalist 1946 - Clann na Poblachta, a radical new republican party is founded by Sean MacBride 1960 - The first Late Late Show - TV chat show hosted by Gay Byrne- is broadcast 1998 - Cranberries' bass player, Mike Hogan, marries Siobhain O'Carroll 2000 - In an effort to curb inflation, the government orders a freeze on the price of drinks; publicans consider a Hight Court challenge to overturn the order 2000 - Tensions intensify in the North as a second major parades ban is placed on the Orange order 2001 - Official figures show that the average price of a new house is £144,116 - more than double what it was in 1996 2001 - U2 opens the European leg of the Elevation Tour at the

 10,000 Forum in Copenhagen.

July 7 1691 - Ginkel offers pardon and security of property to opponents 1700 - MP for Co. Sligo, Captain Hugh Morgan of Lord Dungannon's Regiment, is summoned to appear before a board of general officers at the Curragh of Kildare to answer accusations of being 'a rogue and rascal' and several other complaints. (On 17 July, he is pardoned for failure to turn up - ????!) 1817 - Death of Dublin-born Richard Brinsley Sheridan; playwright, impresario, and politician 1823 - Francis Fowke, engineer and architect, designer of the Royal Albert Hall, London and the National Gallery in Dublin, is born near Belfast 1823 - John Kells Ingram, professor, librarian and writer, is born in Temple Carne, Co.

Donegal 1913 - Home Rule bill passes in Commons for the second time 1922 - Death of Cathal Brugha from injuries received when shot by Free State forces in O'Connell Street 1930 - Death of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, born in Scotland of Irish parents 1970 Birth of Wayne McCullough, bantamweight boxer; Olympic silver medalist 1992; world champion (WBC)1995, in Belfast 1986 - Death in Belfast of Francie McPeake II, uilleann piper and singer. Francie, whose father wrote Will Ye Go Lassie Go, was a crucial figure in preserving the great Ulster piping tradition. July 8 1642 - Owen Roe O'Neill accepts an offer to lead the Ulster rebels and arrives in Ulster (8-9 July); Thomas Preston, another experienced general, also arrives from the continent 1730 - Robert Edgeworth, former MP for St. Johnstown, Co.

Longford, dies 1770 - Mary Anne McCracken, patriot and supporter of the United Irishmen, is born 1808 - Birth of Bernard (Barney) Hughes, baker, entrepreneur and philanthropist; first Catholic member of Belfast Town Council, in Armagh 1819 - Sir Francis McClintock, naval officer and polar explorer, is born in Dundalk, Co. Louth 1889 - In the last official bare knuckle title fight ever held, heavyweight boxer, John L.

Sullivan beats fellow Irishman Jack Kilrain in a world championship bout which lasts 75 rounds 1914 - The House of Lords enacts the Government of Ireland Bill, excluding all Ulster permanently from its stipulations 1970 - The SDLP withdraws from Stormont in protest at failure to inquire into deaths of two civilians killed by army 1981 - Death of Joe McDonnell, from Lenadoon, Belfast, on the 46th day of his hunger strike 1984 - Two Irish-Americans slug it out on Wimbledon’s centre court for the men’s singles’ title - John McEnroe beats Jimmy Connors 2001 - The President and Taoiseach head a large crowd of dignitaries at the annual National Day of Commemoration in Dublin. July 9 1751 - The foundation stone of the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, is laid by the Lord Mayor of Dublin 1790 - The "Gentleman’s Magazine" reports, regarding the MP for Cork, James Bernard who died on this date: ‘Though he had an immense fortune, he did not live at the rate of £300 a year.

His tailor’s bill never amounted to £61 per annum. He did not absolutely starve himself to death, as he lately showed himself a mere voluptuary, having a few months since married a fortunate girl of tender years, to whose tender embraces, it is feared, he fell a sacrifice’ 1797 - Death of the political theorist Edmund Burke in Dublin. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the development of parliamentary democracy 1809 - Birth of John O'Donovan, Irish language scholar and author of The Annals of the Four Masters, in Attateemore, Co. Kilkenny 1921 - A truce is reached between the IRA and the British army 1959 - Mary Browne from Roscommon becomes the first Ban Garda - woman police officer - pounding the beat in Dublin 1959 - Birth of Matt Connor, Offaly Gaelic footballer 1967 - Michael Carruth, winner of Ireland's first Olympic gold medal in boxing (1992), is born in Dublin. 2007 - Following a short illness, Former Tanaiste John Wilson passes away at St.

Jame’s Hospital, a day after his 84th birthday. He was a TD for 20 years and held posts in seven government departments, serving under three Taoisigh: Jack Lynch, Charles Haughey and Albert Reynolds. On the sportsfield, he played for Cavan and an illustrious career brought him significant honours, including two All-Ireland medals (in 1947 and 1948) and five Ulster Football Championship medals. In paying his respects, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is quoted as saying "John Wilson was a sportsman, scholar and a politician who served Cavan and Ireland throughout many years of endeavour and in many fields. A fine orator and a classics scholar, he was a popular deputy across the House who contributed with knowledge, wit and courtesy across a broad range of issues.

Through decades of activism in the sporting, cultural and political life of the country, John Wilson contributed his talents to his students and teaching colleagues in the sphere of education and to the community from which he came which later elected him to political office." July 10 1614 - Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, politician and author, is born in Dublin 1793 - Birth of William Maginn, poet and author, in Co. Cork 1900 - Birth of Paul Carroll, playwright, in Blackrock, Co.

Louth 1917 - De Valera wins election to Parliament from Clare as Sinn Fein candidate 1921 - Unionists burn 160 homes in Belfast, killing 15 and injuring 58 1927 - Kevin O'Higgins, the Irish Free State Minister for Justice, is assassinated 1949 - The last CIE tram service leaves Nelson's Column, Dublin 1956 - Birth of Frank Stapleton, international footballer, in Dublin 2000 - Northern Ireland shuts up shop ahead of Orange Order demonstrations 2000 -The Irish government concedes for the first time that a referendum may have to take place in 2001 to get voter approval for a major revision to the European Union treaties 2001 - A draft chapter from Irish writer James Joyce's classic novel Ulysses is sold for nearly £900,000 at auction.

July 11 1792 - A gathering of some ten Irish harpers and one Welsh begins in Belfast; the objective is to collect the remaining fragments of the tradition; melodies are transcribed by Edward Bunting and others See our article on the great harpist/composer O'Carolan 1798 - Rebels attack Clonard, Co Meath 1798 - Sir Joseph Larmor, mathematician, physicist and politician, is born in Magheragall, Co.

Antrim 1879 - Birth in Dublin of Hugh Kennedy, first Chief Justice of the Irish Free State 1921 - Truce is declared between IRA and English forces, thus ending the War of Independence military campaign 1935 - Birth of Oliver Napier, politician and Alliance Party leader from 1972 to 1984 1967 - Censorship Act lifts the ban on certain books that had been banned for more than a decade 1986 - U2 plays at the Half Moon Club in London; it's the first time they sell out a venue in the U.K 1999 - A massive security operation swings into action as tens of thousands of Orangemen prepare to parade into Ormeau Park in the flashpoint south Belfast area on the banks of the River Lagan 1999 - Hundreds of train travellers are left stranded in Cork despite advance warnings by Ianroad Eireann management of an unofficial dispute by locomotive operators 1999 - One hundred and fifty Irish war veterans gather for the annual commemoration ceremony at the Royal Kilmainham Hospital in honor of Irish soldiers killed on UN peace keeping duties and on foreign battlefields 200

0 - The world's top golfers, including Tiger Woods and David Duval, begin play at the JP McManus Invitation Pro Am in Limerick 2000 - A public health seafood scare leads to a temporary ban on the collection and harvesting of shellfish in Dungarvan, Co.

Waterford 2000 - For the first time in its history, the Dáil elects to appoint a parliamentary law adviser. Miss Lia O’Hegarty is chosen to fill the position. 2007 - Artist Patrick Scott is honoured by President Mary McAleese as Saoi in Aosdána at the Arts Council office, in Merrion Square, Dublin. The President presented Scott, a founder member of Aosdána, with a gold torc, the symbol of the office of Saoi. No more than five members may hold this honour at any one time. Born in Kilbrittain, Co Cork, in 1921, Scott worked on the mosaics in Busáras and has painted full-time since 1960.

Photo Credit & Copy: The Irish Times July 12 1690 - Battle of the Boyne and victory for William of Orange 1691 - Ginkel is victorious over James II's Jacobites at Aughrim; it is the bloodiest battle ever fought in Ireland 1722 - A patent is granted to William Wood to coin copper halfpence for circulation in Ireland 1796 - The Orange Order hold its first 'Twelfth of July' demonstration, commemorating the Battle of Aughrim 1812 - Charles Patrick Meehan, priest, writer and translator, is born in Dublin 1813 - The first recorded "Twelfth of July" sectarian riots erupt in Belfast 1841 - William James McNeven, United Irish leader, dies 1849 - As many as 20 Catholics are killed by soldiers during an Orange Parade at Dolly's Brae, near Castlewellan, Co.

Down 1935 - Violence in Belfast lasting two months commences on this date; eleven people are killed 1942 - Máire Ni Aodán (Mary Hayden), Irish historian, dies 1998 - The three Quinn brothers, Richard, 11, Mark, 10, and Jason 9, are burned to death by a Loyalist firebomb in Ballymoney, 40 miles northwest of Belfast 1999 - An armed gang steals a 40ft container of cigarettes valued at more than £1m from a freight train at Dunleer, Co. Louth 2000 - Violence erupts as Portadown Orangemen pledge to continue Drumcree protest 2000 - Plans to introduce pedestrianisation in Killarney on an experimental basis are confirmed.

July 13 1344 - Ralph de Ufford arrives in Ireland as justiciar with a small English army and investigates the situation in Cork 1809 - Founding of the Dublin Harp Society 1825 - The Catholic Association, dissolved in accordance with the Unlawful Societies Act on 9 March, is reconstituted on 13 July 1886 - Birth of Father Edward Flanagan, the founder of Boy's Town 1981 - Martin Hurson, Irish political prisoner, dies on hunger strike in the Maze Prison 1985 - The Live Aid concerts, organized by Bob Geldorf in aid of Ethiopian famine relief, are held in London and Philadelphia; the people of the Republic of Ireland contribute £8 million 1998 - The second stage of the Tour de France (taking place for the first time in Ireland) ends in Cork City. A crowd of between 40,000 and 50,000 turn out to see the history-making event.

July 14 1791 - Demonstrations are held in Dublin, Belfast and elsewhere to commemorate the fall of the Bastille in 1789 1798 - John and Henry Sheares are convicted of high treason and hanged in Dublin 1798 - Rebels are defeated at the Battle of Knightstown, Co.

Louth 1908 - Birth of Roger McHugh, academic and writer, in Dublin 1969 - Rioting breaks out in Derry and Dungiven, resulting in the first death related to the Northern Ireland disturbances - a 70-year-old farmer who is struck in a melee outside an Orange Hall in Dungiven 1998 - Tánaiste Mary Harney announces that a minimum wage of £4.40 an hour will be introduced in April 2000 1999 - Fidelma Macken is nominated for the European Court of Justice - the first time a woman judge from any member country has reached such a high rank 1999 - Ulster Unionists reject peace blueprint 1999 - The Cabinet approves the construction of Ireland's first 50 metre swimming pool at the University of Limerick 1999 - Over 20,000 litres of fuel oil leaks into the popular fishing resort of Mucrós Bay, Co.

Donegal from a supply tank at Abbotts Ireland 2000 - Angry fishermen blockade a State run fishery port as frustration and tension continues to increase over the alleged harassment of Irish tuna boats by the Naval Service 2000 - Kerry sheep farmer Patrick Morana earns a place in the Guinness Book of Records as he hand-shears 206 sheep in nine hours and becomes Irish and UK champion. July 15 1865 - Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe; statesman, journalist and newspaper magnate, is born in Chapelizod, Co. Dublin 1871 - Birth of Gerald O'Donovan, priest and novelist, in Co. Down 1879 - Joseph Campbell, poet, is born in Belfast. He is famous for the English words he wrote to the song My Lagan Love 1899 - Sean Lemass is born in Dublin. He was the second leader of Fianna Fáil and third Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland from 1959 to 1966 1907 - Seumas Murphy, sculptor and stone-carver, is born in Mallow, Co.

Cork 1927 - Countess Constance de Markievicz, Irish patriot, dies 1930 - After De Valera abolishes the oath of allegiance and withholds land annuities from the British Government, retaliatory trade legislation begins the 'economic war' 1942 - Brendan ('Paddy') Finucane from Dublin - the RAF's youngest ever Wing Commander at 21 years of age - is shot down and killed off the French coast 1987 - U2 plays its first-ever show in Madrid, Spain, attracting 115,000 people for one show, the largest crowd of the year 1998 - The Irish Nurses Organisation warns that the shortage of qualified nurses has reached crisis levels 1999 - It's revealed that since 1998, all telephone, e-mail and fax messages between Ireland and Britain, and probably the United States, were tapped by the British Government 1999 - The cream of Irish traditional and folk music turn out en masse for the inaugural Irish Music Magazine Awards in Dublin 2001 - More than 340,000 provisional licence drivers miss out on the new Driver Theory Test because

 test centres would not be able to handle the flood of applications 2002 - Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue, announces a new €3m marketing package for the industry.

July 16 1685 - Birth of Samuel Haliday in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. Minister of Belfast First Presbyterian Church in 1720, he refuses to sign the Westminster Confession, which leads to split between Subscribing and Non-Subscribing adherents 1803 - Following an explosion at his arms depot on this date, Robert Emmet brings forward his planned rebellion in Dublin to 23 July 1865 - James Owen Hannay (pseudonym George A. Birmingham; clergyman and writer) is born in Belfast 1929 - The Censorship of Publications Act is passed 1936 - Charles Gallagher is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA.

1999 - Olympic champion Michelle de Bruin is stripped of her Irish swimming records; the triple gold medal winner at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta was banned for four years by the FINA in August of 1998 for tampering with a urine sample 2000 - The All Party Committee on the Constitution rejects total ban on abortion 2002 - The IRA leadership issues a statement which includes an apology for the killing of 'non-combatants.' Northern Ireland secretary, Dr John Reid, welcomes the gesture as one of unprecedented strength. July 17 1221 - Geoffrey de Marisco, justiciar of Ireland, is accused of financial irregularities and resigns: he is replaced by Archbishop Henry of London on this date 1846 - Birth of Fenian, John McLure. He is one of 30 Fenian prisoners released in a general amnesty by the British government on January 5, 1871. They are released on condition that they exile themselves to the country of their choice and not return until their sentences have expired.

Many choose to go to Australia, but John McClure, Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, John Devoy, Henry Mulleda and Charles Underwood O'Connell, who had all been imprisoned together, decide to go to America and ship out from Liverpool on board the "Cuba." The so-called 'Cuba Five' arrive in New York to a hero's welcome and even receive a resolution of welcome from the US House of Representatives 1871 - Birth in Comber, Co. Down, of John Andrews, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1940 to 1943 1879 - Séamus O'Sullivan (James Sullivan Starkey),writer and editor, is born in Dublin 1884 - Louise Gavan Duffy, teacher and revolutionary, is born in Nice 1945 - Shannon Airport and customs free zone opened 1951 - The Abbey Theatre in Dublin burns down. The play that evening closed with soldiers on stage singing, ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’.

1970 - The National Youth Orchestra of Ireland makes its debut 1998 - Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks in Wicklow and Donegal threaten the £10 million import industry in eggs from Northern Ireland 2000 - Guinness announces plans to lay off as many as 200 workers as part of a major cost-cutting strategy 2002 - New birth figures show that one in three children in Ireland are born out of wedlock. July 18 1561 - Battle of Red Sagums - Shane O'Neill defeats English 1579 - James Fitzmaurice lands forces in Dingle with the intention of encouraging an uprising against England 1689 - The Mountjoy ship breaks the blockading boom and ends the Siege of Derry after 238 days 1794 - Feargus O'Connor, a leader of the Chartist movement, is born in Connorville, Co. Cork 1822 - The Theatre Royal in Dublin opens its doors to the public for the first time 1863 - Birth of Francis Erlington Ball, historian, in Portmarnock, Co.

Dublin 1865 - Birth in Belfast of novelist Canon James Owen Hannay 1870 - Michael Davitt is sentenced to 15 years' penal servitude for gun-running 1874 - Cathal Brugha (Charles Burgess) an anti-Treaty nationalist,is born in Dublin 1920 - 19 people are killed in four days of sectarian violence in Derry/Londonderry 1966 - The rebuilt Abbey Theatre re-opens 1970 - After having been in prison for unlawful assembly and breach of peace, the "anti-popery" Reverend Ian Paisley is elected to Westminster 1999 - After a long illness, acclaimed actor Donal McCann dies in Dublin 1999 - Boyzone star Shane Lynch escapes unhurt from a dramatic 100 mph crash during a car rally 2000 - U2's official web site at U2.com is opened to the public 2000 - Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy faces heavy criticism over his handling of the economy as inflation soars 2000 - Former Supreme Court Judge Hugh O’Flaherty sells his Dublin home for almost £3 million

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July 19 1608 - Preparations commence for the plantation of six Ulster counties (Armagh, Cavan, Coleraine, Donegal, Fermanagh and Tyrone) 1735 - Garrett Wellesley, 1st Earl of Mornington, politician, musician, and father of Duke of Wellington, is born in Dublin 1785 - Richard Crosbie’s third attempt to cross the Irish Sea in a balloon is unsuccessful 1851 - William Wilson, astronomer and physicist, is born in Belfast 1982 - Dexy’s Midnight Runners reach No.

1 in the British charts with Come On Eileen 1994 - Eilis Dillon, novelist and author of Across the Bitter Sea, dies 1998 - Garvan McGinley, national organizer of the Progressive Democrat Party resigns 1998 - It is confirmed that three chaplains have quit the Orange Order and another dozen are considering their future in the wake of the Drumcree stand-off and the murders of the Quinn children in Ballymoney 1999 - Amnesty International honors its longest serving member in Ireland, Iris Bardon, with a presentation on her 100th birthday. 2009 - Irish author Frank McCourt dies of cancer. A New York city schoolteacher for more than 30 years, he achieved literary fame later in life with his best-selling childhood memoir "Angela's Ashes". With a first printing of just 25,000, the book became an instant favourite with critics and readers and is perhaps the ultimate case of the non-celebrity memoir, the extraordinary life of an ordinary man.

He received the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award for the book, which was eventually published in 25 languages and 30 countries then later made into a film. He is also the author of 'Tis, which continues the narrative of his life, picking up from the end of the previous book and focusing on being a new immigrant in America. Teacher Man, published in 2005, details the challenges of being a young, uncertain teacher. Source: BBC Photo Credit: Educated Nation July 20 1616 - Death in Rome of Hugh O'Neill, 3rd Baron Dungannon and 2nd Earl of Tyrone. He led an unsuccessful uprising against the English, and was eventually forced into exile as part of “the Flight of Earls.” 1798 - Rebel camp at Timahoe surrenders 1835 - First report of the select committee on Orangeism is presented to the House of Commons 1902 - Jimmy Kennedy, lyricist, is born in Omagh, Co.

Tyrone 1904 - Birth of writer Molly Keane 1922 - The Free State army takes Limerick from the anti-treaty Republicans 1933 - Eoin O'Duff becomes leader of the National Guard ('Blueshirts') 1982 - The IRA kills ten servicemen in bomb attacks in Hyde Park and Regent's Park, London 1998 - Seven-year old Adele Chapman from Derry leaves hospital; 12 weeks earlier, she became Britains first triple-organ transplant child when she underwent a pioneering liver, pancreas and small bowel transplant at Birmingham Children's Hospital 1998 - Thirty-three years after the roadway was first proposed, plans for the £80m by-pass of Waterford city are unveiled 1999 - Munster MEP Pat Cox to play a pivotal role in the new European Parliament as President 1999 - The funeral Mass of actor Donal McCann is held at Dublin’s Terenure College Chapel.

July 21 1750 - Under-Secretary Waite reports to Chief Secretary Weston that ‘This morning I am informed that Lord Allen and Captain Eustace of Irvine’s have slit if not cut off a great part of a gentleman’s nose in a fray which happened a day or two ago in the road between Dublin and Naas. The occasion of it was very trifling, such as the gentleman returning the salutation of a fellow which they gave him and which they thought proper to deem an affront upon persons of their rank and in red coats.’ The victim, a Mr. Butler from Co. Tipperary, indicts Allen and Eustace in the courts; Waite writes on 11 August that Allen ‘will have three or four Butlers to fight after they have harassed him by due course of law’ 1860 - Birth of Chauncey Olcott, famed Irish balladeer and writer of “My Wild Irish Rose.” He also co-wrote “Mother Machree” and “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” 1887 - Thomas Bodkin, lawyer and professor, is born in Dublin.

Director of the National Gallery from 1927-35, he wrote several books on Irish art and artists 1903 - Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visit Ireland 1920 - 12 people die in Belfast riots which take place from 21-24 July 1920 - Sectarian violence continues in Derry/Londonderry 1920 - Catholics are forced out of Dromore, Co. Down following the funeral of an RIC man 1922 - The Free State army takes Waterford from the anti-treaty Republicans 1928 - John B. Keane, playwright, novelist and poet, is born in Listowel, Co. Kerry 1964 - Steve Collins, World Middleweight Boxing Champion, is born in Dublin 1972 - 'Bloody Friday' in Belfast; the Provisional IRA kills 19 and injures 130 in 22 bomb attacks 2002 - Approval is granted to open a €30m marine research centre in Galway.

July 22 1606 - A commission is instituted to remedy defective land titles 1817 - William Sadler makes the first balloon crossing of the Irish Sea, from Dublin to Anglesey 1860 - Johanna Butler is born in the Rower, Co. Kilkenny. She entered the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary at the age of sixteen in Béziers, France. Popularly known as Mother Butler, Mother Joseph was the founder of Marymount School and College in Tarrytown, New York. On August 26, 1926, she was elected general superior of the order and remained in that position until her death on April 26, 1940 1866 - Birth of D.J.

O'Donoghue, writer, bookseller and librarian 1873 - James Cousins, writer and teacher, is born in Belfast 1933 - The anti-Fianna Fáil Army Comrades Association, which developed into a fascist-inspired group nicknamed the "Blueshirts," is outlawed 1999 - Loyalist Volunteer Force rules out any further weapons handover 2001 - Ranked 25th, Ireland falls below most of Europe in its healthcare. 2007 - Dubliner Padraig Harrington becomes the first Irish golfer to win the British Open in 60 years when he snatches victory from the jaws of defeat at Carnoustie in Scotland. He is the first European golfer to secure a major victory since Paul Laurie on the same course in 1999 and Ireland's first since Fred Daly in 1947.

President McAleese was the first to convey her congratulations to Harrington, while Labour sports spokesman Jack Wall said: "Padraig Harrington's magnificent victory in the Open without doubt represents one of the greatest days in the history of Irish sport." July 23 1803 - In opposition to the Act of Union, Robert Emmet leads an armed outbreak that is easily suppressed 1834 - St. Vincent’s Hospital, established by the Sisters of Charity, opens in Dublin 1883 - Birth of Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke; military commander, in Bagnéres-de-Bigorre, France 1889 - Birth in Chicago of writer Raymond Chandler, creator of Philip Marlowe.

He was born to Irish Quaker and Irish Catholic parents 1948 - John Cushnahan, Alliance Party and Fine Gael politician, is born in Belfast 1998 - Irish under-18 squad defeat Cyprus to reach final in European Football Championship 1999 - The nation pays its last respects to arson victim Garda Sergeant Andy Callanan, who is buried with full State honours 1999- - Guinness Blues Festival gets underway in 30 venues across Dublin 2001 - Under heavy garda surveillance, the gangland funeral of Seamus "Shavo" Hogan takes place at St Agnes' Church, Crumlin, Dublin 2002 - According to the United Nations report, Ireland is regarded as one of the least corrupt countries in the world. July 24 1261 - The Norman-Irish under the justiciar, William de Dene, are heavily defeated by Fineen MacCarthy at the battle of Callann in Co. Kerry; the MacCarthys and O'Sullivans now control the south-west corner of Ireland.

Richard de la Rochelle becomes justiciar 1294 - Before the council of Dublin, de Vescy accuses John Fitz Thomas, Baron of Offaly, of defaming him to the king and council in England. Fitz Thomas retorts that de Vescy has described the king as the most perverse and dastardly knight of his kingdom. A wager of battle follows and the party are summoned before the king at Westminster. On this date, de Vescy appears ready to give battle but Fitz Thomas does not; de Vescy thus wins his case by default. However, he has been removed from the post of justiciar 1750 - John Philpott Curran, lawyer, politician, and defender of prominent United Irishmen, is born in Newmarket, Co.

Cork 1878 - Edward Barrett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, fantasist, playwright and short-story writer is born in London 1909 - Geoffrey Bing, Irish human rights activist and author, is born in Belfast 1940 - The Picture Post magazine is banned in Ireland after a campaign by the Irish Catholic which objected to the “vulgarity and suggestiveness of the illustrations” 1998 - Cork Opera House announces significant rise in operating losses 2000 - The new Student Drama Theatre in the NUI Galway opens Photo: Ray Ryan 2000 - Bus strike cripples large areas of Dublin 2000 - Galway district court Judge John Garavan refuses to extend late night opening hours to a number of nightclubs because the women frequenting them are “dreadful and not respectable” 2002 - Latest census figures show that the population of the State is just over 3.9 million - the highest level since 1871. July 25 Today is the feast day of St. James. Since mediaeval times, Dubliners held an annual drinking festival in the Saint’s honour.

Fittingly, Guinness chose St. James’ Gate as the site for their brewery Click here to read our article on Guinness. 1633 - Thomas (Viscount) Wentworth becomes Lord Deputy of Ireland 1750 - Birth of John Curran, Irish statesman, in Newmarket, Co. Cork 1758 - Elizabeth Hamilton, author and educator, was born 1814 - Robert Peel establishes the Peace Preservation Force to counter rural unrest 1820 - Michaelangelo Hayes, painter, is born in Waterford 1917 - The Irish Convention - an attempt by Lloyd George to arrive at a political settlement - meets in Dublin; the opposition of Sinn Féin and the Ulster unionists will render it irrelevant 1919 - Death of Sir Sam McCaughey, known as ‘the Sheep King’.

Born near Ballymena, he owned many millions of sheep in Victoria and New South Wales 1987 - U2 plays in Cardiff, Wales, in response to a fan who gathered 10,000 signatures on a petition requesting the show 1999 - A countrywide lobby is organised to persuade the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, to ban foxhunting in Ireland 2000 - An Aer Lingus 737 carrying Irish passengers to Paris is the last aircraft allowed to land in Charles de Gaulle airport after the Air France Concorde explodes, killing 113 people. July 26 1575 - On the orders of Essex, John Norris and Francis Drake lead an attack on Rathlin island, a stronghold of the MacDonnells. After the surrender of Bruce's castle, its 200 occupants are killed, as are 400 others found hiding in caves and cliffs 1739 - George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is born to an Irish family that had immigrated to New Britain, a small town near the Hudson River.

He served as vice president under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison 1782 - Birth of composer John Field in Dublin. His nocturnes for piano are the inspiration for much of Chopin’s work 1813 - A Catholic is killed at the 'Battle of Garvagh', a sectarian confrontation in Co. Derry/Londonderry 1856 - The Anglican Church of Ireland is disestablished as the state religion by the Irish Church Act 1856 - Birth in Dublin of George Bernard Shaw 1869 - British Royal assent is given to the Bill disestablishing the Irish Church (Anglican) 1914 - Arms which Sir Roger Casement had procured in Germany for the Easter Uprising are landed in Howth from Erskine Childers’ yacht, the "Asgard" 1927 - Entertainer, Danny La Rue is born Daniel Patrick Carroll in Co.

Cork 1950 - Sir Gilbert Laithwaite and John Dulanty are installed as the first UK ambassador to Ireland and Irish ambassador to the UK respectively 1960 - Death of Dubliner Cedric Gibbons, art director and designer of the Oscar awards 1987 - Stephen Roche becomes the first Irishman to win the Tour de France 1998 - Robert Saulters, the Grand Master of the Orange Order, puts his leadership on the line with a call for talks with nationalist residents 2001 - Thirteen-year old Michael Beirne wins first prize in the Irish Animation Festival competition. 2006 - In what is described as a discovery 'of staggering importance' it is announced that an ancient book of psalms has been found in a bog in the midlands. The approximately 20-page book has been dated to the years 800-1000. Trinity College manuscripts expert Bernard Meehan said it was the first discovery of an Irish early medieval document in two centuries.

July 27 1602 - O'Neill's principal vassal, Donal O'Cahan, submits to Docwra 1662 - Ormond becomes Lord Lieutenant and arrives in Ireland on this date 1663 - The "Cattle Act" restricts Irish trade with colonies as well as exports to England 1669 - Molly Malone is christened in Dublin 1710 - George Carpenter, former MP for Newtown, is wounded at Battle of Almenara, Spain 1782 - Poynings' Law is amended by Yelverton's Act which was passed on this date: only bills passed by both houses of the Irish parliament will be forwarded to England for assent 1782 - Second and third Catholic Relief Acts (4 May, 27 July) allow Catholics to own land outside parliamentary boroughs, to be teachers and to act as guardians 1805 - Death of Brian Merriman, poet famous for his translation of "The Midnight Court" 1830 - Birth of John O'Leary, Fenian, in Tipperary; referred to famously by Yeats in his poem "September 1913": 'Rom

antic Ireland's dead and gone/It's with O'Leary in the grave' 1846 - William Smith O’Brien leads the Young Irelanders out of the Repeal Association 1860 - Birth of John Henry Bernard, scholar, Archbishop of Dublin and provost of Trinity College Dublin 1866 - Completion of the first submarine cable link underneath the Atlantic, from Valentia Island, Co.

Kerry to Trinity Bay, Newfoundland 1960 - Ireland sends troops to serve with UN forces in the Congo; nine are killed by Baluba tribesmen in an ambush at Niemba on 8 November; one of these, Anthony Browne, will be awarded the Military Medal for Gallantry 1980 - U2 plays its first-ever open-air show at the "Dublin Festival 1980" in front of 15,000 at Leixlip Castle in Kildare 1998 - A former lieutenant of drugs baron George Mitchell, is caught red-handed with £2.7m worth of cannabis in Co. Meath 1998 - Unionists claim proposals to ban RUC recruits from groups like the Orange Order may be illegal 2000 - The cream of Irish opera talent performs popular classics in aid of charity at the National Concert Hall.

Headlining Pop Opera 2000 is Ireland's foremost soprano, Cara O'Sullivan 2000 - Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams warns that the Good Friday Agreement would be "holed below the water line," if the British Government did not properly implement the Patten Report on the reform of policing in Northern Ireland 2001 - According to the National Treasury Management Agency annual report for 2000, Ireland's national debt is among lowest in Europe. July 28 1210 - King John captures William de Braose and confiscates his lands 1674 - Birth of Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery; Jacobite soldier and editor 1769 - Birth in Galway of Sir Hudson Lowe, soldier, and governor of St Helena responsible for guarding Napoleon 1846 - O'Connell and the Young Irelanders party split over use of physical force 1895 - Birth of John Charles McQuaid, Archbishop of Dublin, in Cootehill, Co.

Cavan 1927 - The first automatic telephone exchange in Ireland, serving more than 700 customers, is opened at Ship Street 1954 - Birth of Mikey Sheehy, Gaelic footballer. in Co. Kerry 1998 - Marine Minister Dr. Michael Woods firmly rules out an extension of the salmon season 1999 - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern predicts on local radio that Moscow Express will win the Galway Plate at Ballybrit. The horse is steered to victory by current Irish champion jockey Ruby Walsh 1999 - TV3 announces that model Amanda Byram will spearhead Ireland’s first ever breakfast television programme 1999 - The Central Statistics Office publishes the most popular baby names for the previous year; the leading boy’s name is Conor, followed by Seán, Jack, James and Adam.

Across the gender divide, Chloe tops the list, ahead of Ciara, Sarah, Aoife and Emma 2000 - Seventy-eight republican and loyalist prisoners are released from the Maze prison 2001 - BirdWatch Ireland appeals for loans of ghettoblasters as part of a bid to save the corncrake.The blasters are needed to replay the sounds of farm traffic - tractors and their grass mowers - in areas where the rasping, croaking corncrake can still be heard, mainly along the banks of the River Shannon. The hope is they will attract the birds so they can be banded and tracked. 2005 - IRA issues statement ending its armed campaign. Gerry Adams says that it offered an unprecedented opportunity to revive the peace process. He called on unionists to fully embrace the principles of the Good Friday Agreement. The 36-year campaign of armed conflict has cost 3,500 lives, 1,800 of them at the hands of the Provisionals. July 29 1693 - Patrick Sarsfield is mortally wounded at the Battle of Landen.

He dies of his wounds three days later at Huy in Belgium, where he is buried in the grounds of St. Martin's Church 1805 - Brian Merriman, Irish language poet famous for his epic poem Cúirt an Mheeadhon - The Midnight Court, dies 1848 - Young Ireland rising centres on the 'Battle of the Widow MacCormack's cabbage garden' near Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary. William Smith O'Brien, Thomas Francis Meagher, Terence Bellew McManus and Patrick O'Donohue are arrested, convicted of high treason and sentenced to death in September-October. Sentences are commuted to transportation in June, 1849 1883 - James Carey, member of the Invincibles, turns Queen's evidence; five of his associates are hanged for the murders of Burke and Cavendish. Carey is followed to South Africa by Patrick O'Donnell, and shot dead on the Melrose, en route from Cape Town to Natal.

O'Donnell is hanged in London on 17 December 1969 - The Irish Finance Act exempts people considered by the Revenue Commissioners to have written works of cultural or artistic merit from income tax on money earned by the works 1975 - Death of 40-year-old Tom Dunphy of the Royal Showband in a car crash near Carrick-on-Shannon 1998 - The threat to Irish rail services on August Bank Holiday Monday is lifted following the intervention by the chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission, Kieran Mulvey 1999 - Quinze coasts to an easy victory in the Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap 1999 - Brian Meehan is jailed for life after he is convicted of the murder of journalist, Veronica Guerin 2001 - Thousands of people climb Mayo's holy mountain, Croagh Patrick, for the annual national pilgrimage 2001 - Michael Flatley announces his retirement in Dallas at the last show of his Feet of Flames World Tour 2002 - The first public-private partnership deal to fast-track the building of 170 million euro hospital scheme is launched.

July 30 1650 - Edward Parry, Church of Ireland Bishop of Killaloe, dies in Dublin from the plague 1715 - Birth of Nahum Tate the first Irish-born poet laureate of England. Playwright and hymn writer, his best known work is While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night 1761 - Birth of Henry FitzGerald, diplomat, soldier and brother of Lord Edward FitzGerald 1761 - Richard Nugent, MP for Fore and still a teenager, fights a duel with a Mr. Reilly and dies of his wounds a week later 1862 - Death of Eugene O’Curry, influential music collector 1863 - Birth of Henry Ford, son of William and Mary Ford who crossed the Atlantic from Ireland by steerage. Ford changed the entire world through his revolutionary assembly-line manufacture of motor cars 1927 - Novelist and critic John Broderick is born in Athlone, Co. Westmeath 1942 - Birth of artist Charles Harper on Valentia Island in Co.

Kerry 1947 - The Soviet Union blocks Ireland’s application for entry into the UN on the grounds that Ireland, being neutral, had not helped to set up the organisation. However there are strong suspicions that the Soviet Union’s real objections are because Ireland is a Catholic country and would therefore always vote against the communist bloc countries 1971 - Red Hurley and Nevada reach no. 1 in the Irish charts with ‘Sometimes’ 1998 - Orange Order leaders file notice of four planned marches along the nationalist Garvaghy Road during August 2000 - Michael Flatley's Lord of The Dance extravaganza is staged at Belfast's historic Stormont Castle 2000 - It is announced that Dublin is to get a full-scale underground metro system as part of a multi-billion pound plan to tackle the capital's crippling traffic congestion 2002 - Soccer legend George Best enters hospital for a liver transplant.

July 31 1661 - The Act of Settlement confirms some adventurers' landowning rights but allows claims from 'innocents' and royalist supporters 1689 - Robert Lundy, Governor of Derry/Londonderry, advises surrender at the approach of James's army but is overruled and allowed to escape. The city holds out under siege for 105 days and is relieved on this date 1689 - The Enniskillen Protestants defeat Jacobite forces at Newtownbutler, Co.

Fermanagh 1737 - Robert Adair, MP for Philipstown, dies on this date, having 'had one of his legs cut off above the knee for a mortification and died soon after' 1834 - Inauguration of the first Dublin — Dun Laoghaire horse-drawn "train service" 1838 - Enactment of the Irish Poor Law 1877 - Minority of Home Rulers begin obstruction tactics in Commons 1893 - Founding of the Gaelic League in order to revive the use of the Irish language and foster appreciation of Ireland's Celtic heritage 1917 - Death of poet Francis Ledwidge, from Slane, Co.

Meath, who is killed by a stray shell at Ypres during World War I 1922 - Harry Boland shot by Free Staters in Skerries; he would die three days later 1981 - Kevin Lynch, political prisoner, dies on hunger strike in the Maze prison 1978 - U2 plays McGonagle's in Dublin in support of Modern Heirs and Revolver 1998 - Parades Commission rejects a fresh application by Orangemen to parade along the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown on August 2 2000 - The British Army begins dismantling the controversial Borucki observation post which has dominated the skyline in Crossmaglen for more than 20 years. 2007 - After 38 years, the occupation of Northern irland by the British Army ends at midnight. Operation Banner is the Army's longest continuous campaign in its history with more than 300,000 personnel serving and 763 directly killed by paramilitaries.

David de Alba Interviews Danny La Rue : Transgender Forum David de Alba Interviews Danny La Rue cuban legend | Oct 28, 2013 Danny La Rue was born Daniel Patrick Carroll in Cork, Ireland on the 26th of July, 1927 and passed away May 31, 2009. Danny La Rue was referred to by Noël Coward as “The most professional, the most witty … and the most utterly charming man in the business.” I myself heard wonderful things about this prolific female impersonator from my English friend, the late Charles Blair who was active in the British based Judy Garland Fan Club and later on when I played at Finocchio’s in San Francisco from entertainer Carroll Wallace who lavished him with praise. In the drag show business world Danny La Rue is considered a national monument, not just because of the longevity of his career, but for his excellence as a performer. I have only met Danny through the Internet and our theatrical Web Sites now share a link. He sent me a some lovely autographed photos, two of which appear in this interview. It is indeed an honour for me to present to my Cyberspace readers, Danny La Rue.

Danny, the stage is yours! David: My dear Danny, for those of us that have not yet read your best-selling autobiography From Drags To Riches, when you were a young child growing up in Ireland and England, did you have any bent to become a professional entertainer? Danny: No. I was in the Navy and forced into it! David: Did you have a “drag mother” or a mentor that helped you get started in a career of female impersonation? Danny: Ted Gating. David: I know you work ‘live,’ but can you explain to our readers what type of act you do when you are not in a scripted play and are working in concert format? Danny: I basically try and impersonate the style of the ladies not only in dress but in mannerisms. I never mime. My wardrobe is probably the most extensive in the world and I always try and create a visual spectacle. David: You opened your own popular nightclub in Hanover Square in 1964. So many clubs come and go over the years. What is your secret of success in a business where so many fail? Danny: Know your audience.

David: You met the great Judy Garland … oh so many times, and in 1968 even appeared with her on stage at the Talk Of The Town. You are a great fan of hers and she was of you as well. For all of our Garland fans reading this, could you share a memory of her? Danny: Carrying her off the stage when she had given her all. Judy, bless her, sat on this piano [see photo left] and Noel Coward played for her in my home in Hampstead in London in the ’60s. She sang Mad About the Boy. David: Who has been designing your fabulous wardrobe throughout the years? Also are all of your wigs human hair with lace hairlines or do you wear some easy to care for synthetics? Danny: Ann Galbraith has been with me over 15 years. Before that was Mark Cantor. All my wigs are real human hair and cost about $3000, with one exception and that is the long platinum blonde wig for Diana Dors which is nylon. All my wigs are made by Wig Specialities in London. David: What in your opinion is the best and the worst part of working in drag?

Meeting Princess Margaret in 1970 Danny: I don’t enjoy putting on women’s clothes. It is very hot and hard work. The audience response makes it all worthwhile. David: Do you take some key musicians with you who know your material when you go on international tours, and how do you cover for your absence from your own nightclub? Danny: I always travel with my [Musical Director] David Carter. The club closed many years ago to be redeveloped. David: In 1961 you appeared at the Birmingham Hippodrome for the first time in a pantomime of Cinderella, and now in Dec. 2000 you’re on the bill in Woking, England. Can you tell us a little about the production and the part that you play? Danny: I have been in pantomimes since the ‘60s and have been fortunate to appear in the very best of them. They are great for young children to get their first taste of ‘live’ theatre. It is sad that the U.S. only has films and Disney. Many theatres and artists rely on the tremendous business that pantomime brings. It’s good fun and very good value for all the family.

My part is a new character to the story of Cinderella. I am the glamorous stepmother of Cinderella and the ugly sisters (who I can’t stand). David: I understand that you do pantomime, and yet your performances are all ‘live.’ Can you explain what the word ‘pantomime’ means in Great Britain? (Here in the U.S.A. it means telling a story through only facial and body movements or in the drag scene, lip synching to a recorded background.) Danny: Pantomime, or dumb show, was essential to commedia dell’arte, an improvised comedy that arose in 16th-century Italy and spread throughout Europe. Pantomime continued in the 17th- and 18th-century harlequinade in France and England, an offshoot of the commedia dell’arte, which depicted the adventures of Harlequin; his sweetheart, Columbine; and her father, Pantaleone. In London the harlequinade was preceded by a scene in which actors mimed and danced stories from classical mythology or fairy tales, culminating in the transformation of the leading character into Harlequin.

John Rich, an 18th-century actor noted in the role of Harlequin, made this form of entertainment popular at Christmas. Gradually the opening scene, or pantomime, became longer and more important than the harlequinade, especially as developed in the early 19th-century by the actor Joseph Grimaldi, who excelled in acrobatics, invented tricks and stage machinery, and created the foolish clown Joey. The pantomime emerged as an elaborately staged and costumed spectacle, based on fairy tales, incorporating song, dance, acrobatics, dialogue, and other elements from the English music hall. There is no mime in it! David: You have a new CD out I Am What I Am. Can you tell us how that came about and how you selected the material on it? Danny: I was approached and though I have made several LPs had never put anything on CD. It was done in 2 days! We ended up buying the rights to it. Nice to be able to give them to charities!! David: You have played cabarets and the legitimate stage, been in films and on television. What is there that Danny has yet to accomplish? Danny: Very little.

I have a had a fantastic life. David: Are there any particular foods that you enjoy? Also are you a good chef at home? Danny: I enjoy a good traditional English roast which I love to prepare myself. I like my food piping hot and very fresh. David: Do you have any hobbies or interests that occupy your time when you are not performing? Also what breed is your sweet dog Jonti and is he the only pet you have now? Danny: I try to see other shows when I am in London. I don’t have time for any hobbies. I enjoy people and love socializing, doing charities etc. Jonti is a Chinese Crested Hairless and is my only pet. David: If you caught a Leprechaun and he were to grant you three wishes, what would you wish for? Danny: An end to all war, famine and disease. Make the world a better place because you have lived in it. Best wishes, Danny. This interview was reprinted with permission from David De Alba’s website . Bonus David de Alba Tidbit In 1963, when David de Alba was known to his family and friends as Heri Garcia, he attended his high school prom in Chicago.

Here is a never before seen photo of Heri and his date Dorothy Abbate taken at the Drake Hotel, site of their prom. We remarked to David when he sent us the photo that, no disrespect to Miss Abbate, he would have looked better in that dress and hairstyle. David agreed. If you can, make it to Las Vegas on November 24 for David’s afternoon show titled Dorothy … The Later Years. It’s a tribute to Judy Garland. (Not Dorothy Abbate.) Contact The Onyx Theatre box office for tickets. Phone: 702- 732-7225. Category: History , Impersonation About cuban legend: David de Alba is one of the last survivors of the golden era of female impersonation. Unlike most female impersonators, Mr. de Alba uses his own femme voice on stage. He is known for his outstanding live impersonations of Judy Garland at the world famous Finocchio Club and on countless TV appearances. He is also a celebrity Interviewer and recording artist. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.

Danny La Rue dies at 81 - a profile - Telegraph Danny La Rue in pictures 01 Jun 2009 La Rue's mother took the family to London, and a flat above a dress-hire shop in Soho, when La Rue was nine years old. Years later, La Rue joked to an audience at a show in Cork: "See what they did to me in England. "I left in short pants and I've come back in a frock." La Rue was evacuated to Devon during the Blitz, left school at 15 and got a job as a window dresser in Exeter. He first donned his wig and eyelashes during a Navy concert party in Singapore at the end of the Second World War. La Rue got his stage name in the early days, thanks, to Harry Secombe. He said: "I dabbled with the occasional stage appearance, but my great friend Harry Secombe advised me to forget fame and fortune. "He said I'd never make the big time and I should stick with my proper job." A few months after the conversation with Secombe, La Rue had the chance to fill in for a singer at London's Irving Theatre.

"I wanted to call myself Danny Street so Harry Secombe wouldn't know I'd gone back to the stage. But there was already a singer called Danny Street, so I became Danny La Rue," he said. La Rue was snapped up as a West End cabaret star at London's Churchill's nightclub, followed by Winston's Club, where he starred alongside Barbara Windsor. As La Rue's name became bigger than that of his venues, he opened his own nightclub in Hanover Square in 1964. The venture was a huge success, attracting more than 13,000 members, and shooting La Rue to fame. Celebrities Judy Garland, Warren Beatty, Shirley Bassey, Noel Coward, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Dame Elizabeth Taylor were all patrons. Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon also enjoyed nights out there. La Rue appeared in dozens of TV shows, including The Good Old Days, Tonight with Danny La Rue and Royal Variety Performances. His pantomime appearances began in the 1960s, making La Rue one of Britain's most established panto dames.

La Rue made theatrical history by being the first man to play a female role in a major musical when he took on the part of Dolly in Hello Dolly! The star, who performed everywhere from Canada to the Middle East, became a millionaire at the peak of his career but would lose his fortune in a property deal. He later said: "I've had success and I've had failure, and from failure I have learned more than from success because it makes you really look at yourself." When his former partner and manager of 32 years, Jack Hanson, died in 1984, La Rue sank into depression. After a year of drinking every night, La Rue returned to form when he was warned by a friend that he was in danger of losing everything. La Rue was appointed an OBE in 2002, and performed more than 30 times at royal shows at Buckingham Palace. He was the first female impersonator to appear at the Royal Variety Performance before the Queen. La Rue was named Theatre Personality of the Year in 1970 and Entertainer of the Decade in 1979.

Noel Coward called La Rue "the most professional, most witty and most utterly charming man in the business", while Bob Hope described him as "the most glamorous woman in the world".

Question: Born in Cork in Ireland on July 26th 1927 what was the more famous name of the TV entertainer Daniel Patrick Carroll?
Answer: DANNY LA RUE