Jack McAuliffe

​

The song, Cliffs of Dooneen, which was made popular by the legendry singer Christy Moore during his time with the folk band Planxty, was written by Jack McAuliffe from Lixnaw, County Kerry.

Some imagination is required to interpret the locations mentioned. Looking north from the Cliffs of Dooneen in County Kerry, the town of Kilrush might be seen on a clear day to the north-east, but Kilkee to the north lies 3 miles across the peninsula. The lyrics as sung by Christy Moore.

​

You may travel far far from your own native home
Far away o'er the mountains, far away o'er the foam
But of all the fine places that I've ever seen
There's none to compare with The Cliffs of Dooneen

​

It's a nice place to be on a fine summer's day
Watching all the wild flowers that ne'er do decay
All the hare and lofty pheasant are plain to be seen
Making homes for their young 'round The Cliffs of Dooneen

​

Take a view o'er the mountains, fine sights you'll see there
You'll see the high rocky mountains on the West coast of Clare
The towns of Kilkee and Kilrush can be seen
From the high rocky slopes of The Cliffs of Dooneen

​

Fare thee well to Dooneen, fare thee well for a while
And to all the fine people I'm leaving behind
To the streams and the meadows where late I have been
And the high rocky slopes of The Cliffs of Dooneen

​

McAuliffe is said to have written the original poem in the 1930s whilst visiting his sister who lived in the nearby village of Beale, the poem was later put to music by a local musician

 

Terry McAuliffe

​

New York born Terry McAuliffe made an early start in business when he started his own driveway maintenance, aged just fourteen. He was still only thirty years old when he was elected as chairman of the bank he founded, the Federal City National Bank.

​

McAuliffe’s political career as a fundraiser for president Bill Clinton’s many and various causes, raising a record at that time, $275 million. His reputation earned him election as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, as well as launching projects  to reach out to Hispanic voters, and to educate and engage women to run for office at local level.

He first stood for the office of Governor of Virginia in 2013 on a ticket of ‘job creation and common sense fiscal responsibility’, drawing on his experience in business. He gained the Democratic nomination unopposed, he was elected governer the following year, the first Democratic to be elected from the sitting president’s party. Among his first executive orders were one, to ban gifts over $100 to members of the administration, and an order to ban discrimation on the grounds of sexual or gender orientation against state employees. During his term, he championed numerous causes, including legislation to transform healthcare, and LGBT and abortion rights.

 

Colonel Anthony Clement ‘Nuts’ McAuliffe

​

At the height of World War Two, with the German army being pushed back through France and Belgium, the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army was charged with the task of defending the city of Bastogne, Belgium. The dense forests of the Ardennes provided plentiful cover for the German tank divisions, but once spotted, General McAuliffe’s forces were tasked in holding their positions despite being faced with superior forces and machinery. Success in this mission would stop the German army from taking the port of Antwerp, as well as preventing a split in the allied forces.

​

The Germans, confident of a swift and crushing victory, sent a small group of soldiers under the white flag of truce, to send a message to the American forces with an ultimatum to surrender. When the message reached Division Headquarters, McAuliffe was wakened by his Acting Chief of Staff and handed the message. After a short pause, McAuliffe simply responded with “To the German Commander, Nuts, from the American Commander’, and battle began. After suffering a number of setbacks, the allied forces regrouped and eventually defeated the German divisions, the first real shift in the direction of the war. Germany suffered huge losses with around 89,000 troops killed, but the tanks lost in the battle considerably weakened their war effort, and their ability to defend the territories gained in the early years of the war.

          

General McAuliffe, as well as others including Eisenhower, Montgomery and Patten, were not named in the 1965 Warner’s film, The Battle Of The Bulge, starring Robert Ford, Telly Savalas and Henry Fonda. An earlier film from Columbia studios was never completed, and more recent films Battle of the Bulge: Winter War and Ardennes Fury both fail to mention McAuliffe by name.

​

After the Battle of the Bulge, McAuliffe was given command of the 103rd Infantry Division until the end of the war. He went on to serve as commander of the United States Army Europe.

 

Jack McAuliffe

​

Nicknamed the ‘Napoleon of the prize ring’, such was his standing in boxing world, McAuliffe held the World Lightweight title from 1886 to 1893, when he retired undefeated. His boxing prowess inspired the following poem by Nat Fleischer.

​

Napoleon, war-master, was a terror to his foes,

A general of generals, as everybody knows;

And Jack McAuliffe, lightweight king, who many battles won,

Was tagged by his admirers, “The Ring Napoleon”.

 

McAuliffe was born in Cork, Ireland in 1866, emigrating to Bangor, Maine in the United States in 1870 where his father had served in the US Army in the American Indian wars.

Soon after he turned professional in 1883, he fought English lightweight Jem Carney over 78 rounds to a draw, before beating Bill Dacey in 11 rounds and winning himself a purse of $5,000 (around $150,000 today). He retired with a record of 30 wins and 5 draws from 36 fights. His last fight, it was said, was ‘gifted’ to him despite the fact he had clearly been beaten, a reward for his service to boxing. McAuliffe died in Queens, New York, aged 71.

 

Christa McAuliffe

​

Sharon Christa Corrigan was the eldest of five children, born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Edward Corrigan who was of Irish descent. Born in 1948, she became known simply as Christa. She attended and graduated from Marian High School in nearby Framlington in 1966.

​

Following her marriage to Virginia Military Institute graduate, Steven J McAuliffe, they moved to Washington D.C. Christa had qualified as a teacher of American history. After being inspired by the Apollo moon landing programme, McAuliffe became one of 11,000 applicants a NASA quest to find “a gifted teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit. Those numbers whittled down to 114, then ten, before Christa was selected for the role.

On 28th January 1986, McAuliffe, along with six other crew, boarded Challenger STS-51-F. In little over one minute, tragedy struck when the shuttle broke apart, killing all the crew. The excitement over her involvement in the flight, adding millions to the viewing figures. It had a profound effect on may who watced the event happen live.

​

Following her death, an asteroid and a crater on the planet Venus were named after her, as well as  dozens of schools and educational establishment, including the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Centre in Utah. Her story has since been told in both television and cinema movies.

          

Max Arthur MacAuliffe

​

Max MacAuliffe was born in Newmarket West, Co. Limerick, in September 1841. He attended Newcastle School before studying at Springfield College and Queen’s College in Galway. His broad humanistic education included learning French and Italian languages, and he gained an interest in Greek and Latin classics.

​

After an entry examination, MacAuliffe joined the Indian Civil Service and was assigned to the Punjab in 1864. In 1882 he became Deputy Commissioner, and two years later became a judge and converted to Sikhism.

​

Whilst in India, he gained a deep understanding and sympathy for the people of the Punjab, and of the Indian culture, often in conflict with his colleagues. He began to gain a reputation translating and interpreting Sikhism into the English-speaking world. Eventually his translation of the work of the Guru Granth Sahib led to his resignation from the Civil Service, instead he was funded by his Indian hosts to enable him to continue his work.

​

He retired back to London where he died in 1913. He is still revered among Sikhs for his contribution to Sikhism.

 

John McAuliffe

​

John McAuliffe was tried at Limerick for his part in a skirmish which took place in Buttevant, eight miles north of Mallow, during the Irish Agrarian Rebellion in the early 1820s. He was sentenced to be transported to Australia, where he sailed on the ship Ann and Amelia to Port Jack, Sydney, a journey of 116 days.

 

​