December (Nollaig) 24th
 
1601 - The Battle of Kinsale. Hugh O'Neill and Red Hugh O'Donnell are heavily defeated by Mountjoy
http://www.kinsale-angling.com/NoFrames/Kinsale1601.htm
http://homepage.eircom.net/~earrings/battle-of-kinsale.html
http://www.libraryireland.com/JoyceHistory/Kinsale.php

1701 - Captain Thomas Bellew fights a duel with Major-General William Stewart on Christmas Eve - both men's right hands are disabled as a result of war wounds, and Bellew has served under Stewart. Stewart fires from two yards and blows Bellew's hat off, whereupon Bellew throws his pistol away, saying he does not wish to kill Stewart
 
1709 - Alan Brodrick, Speaker of the House of Commons, is appointed Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench

1713 - The second Irish parliament of Queen Anne sits from 25 November to this date. The Whig Alan Brodrick is elected Speaker for the second time (having served 21 September 1703 to 19 May 1710), in place of John Forster, after a stormy contest with the government's Tory nominee, Sir Richard Levinge
 
1810 - John O'Connell, politician, is born in Dublin


John O'Connell (1801 - 24 May 1858) was one of seven children (the third of four sons) of the Irish Nationalist leader Daniel and Mary O'Connell. He served in British Parliament as Member of Parliament (MP) for Youghal from 1832 to 1837, for Athlone from 1837-1841, for Kilkenny from 1841-1847, for Limerick from 1847-1851 and for Clonmel from 1853-57.
 
His brothers Maurice, Morgan and Daniel were also MPs.

1818 - In St. Nicholas Church at Oberndorf, Austria, church organist Franz Gruber, 31, composed a melody on guitar for the poem, "Stille Nacht," written earlier by pastor Joseph Mohr, 26. This evening the world heard "Silent Night" sung for the very first time.
 
1889 - Captain William O'Shea files for divorce, citing Parnell as his wife Kitty's lover, thus causing moral outrage and the subsequent loss of Parnell's political power
 
1895 - The 15-man crew of a Dun Laoghaire lifeboat crew is lost in a gale while attempting a rescue from a stricken vessel off Blackrock
 
1921 - Gerard Victory, composer, is born in Dublin

1942 - Psychiatrist and broadcaster Dr. Anthony Clare is born in Dublin

1997 - In one of the worst storms in living memory, seven people die and many others are injured as hurricane-force winds wreak havoc across the country
 
1997 - 1st time a Channukah candle is officially lit in Vatican City
 
1998 - After 26 years, an exceptional era in broadcasting comes to a close on this date when Gay Byrne does his final morning radio show on RTE Radio One.
 
2002 - President Mary McAleese breaks her ankle in a skiing accident in Austria
 
The Christmas Truce - http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/truce.asp
 
Please pray for the safe return of our troops and keep them in your prayers and thoughts this holiday season