In 1902 the two most important persons in Ireland were Earl Cadogan and George Wyndham (right). One was Lord Lieutenant, and the other was his Chief Secretary. Between them they effectively ran the country, and the ordinary people had very little say. We had other important persons too. The Irish peerage consisted of 2 dukes, 10 marquesses, 61 earls, 36 viscounts and 64 barons.

Despite all these important persons, the British government found it hard to maintain law and order. The opposition was strong. At one stage 20,000 people demonstrated in the Phoenix Park. The United Irish League, headed by John Redmond MP (left), pushed for independence, while in the House of Commons one Irish MP rushed across the floor of the House and repeatedly shook a fist within inches of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour's face.

In May 31,1902, after two years and seven months, the Boer War in South Africa came to an end when the Boer leaders signed the terms of surrender. It was in this war that, for the first time anywhere, people were detained in concentration camps. The British army - under Kerry-born Lord Kitchener (right) - held Boers, mostly women, children and older persons, without trial and with few amenities.

The longest railway line then in the world, the Trans-Siberian Railway, opened this year for traffic. A magnificent feat of engineering; it stretched 5,777 miles from Moscow through the vast, frozen Siberian wastes to Vladivostok on the Pacific coast. The entire trip would take ten days.

In 1902 the coronation of King Edward VII was postponed...an emergency operation for appendicitis was performed on him in a hastily-constructed operation room in Buckingham Palace. When news of the postponement broke, the coronation ceremonies were actually being rehearsed. Many heads of government, some from as far away as Asia and Africa, started to pack for the long voyage home.

Theodore Roosevelt (left) was the American President in 1902, Nicholas II (right) was Tsar of Russia, Franz Josef I was Emperor of Austria, Matsuhito was Emperor of Japan and Wilhelm II was the German Kaiser and King of Prussia. The Netherlands had Queen Wilhelmina, Leopold II reigned in Belgium, and the King of Spain was Alfonso XIII. Dom Carlos ruled in Portugal, Christian IX in Denmark, George I in Greece and Charles I in Romania, while Oscar II double-jobbed as King of Norway and Sweden. Leo XIII was Pope, Michael Cardinal Logue was primate of All-Ireland and the head of the Church of Ireland was Archbishop William Alexander.

There was no shortage of banks in Ireland: The Provincial, the Royal, the Hibernian, the Ulster, the Munster and Leinster, the Northern Banking Company and the Belfast Banking Company. To send a postcard to Hong Kong cost you a penny. Mind you, the card would take at least 29 days to arrive. Eight days was the normal arrival time for a card to New York.

In Italy in 1902 the minimum working age was raised from 9 to 12 for boys and from 11 to 15 for girls. In France the working day for women and children was cut from 11 to 10.5 hours, but pay was also cut accordingly.

When it was published that year, 'The Story of My Life' caused a sensation. In the book, 22 year old Helen Keller (left) told the heartbreaking story of how at the age of 19 months she lost her sight and hearing. Amazingly this Alabama girl learned to read, write and speak, but she could not have done so without the loving and patient tuition of Anne Sullivan, her teacher.

The turning point in Helen Keller's life came at the age of seven when Anne placed the hand of her pupil under the spout of a pump. In the book Helen wrote: `As the cool stream rushed over one hand, my teacher spelled into the other the word `water' and at last the mystery of language was revealed to me'.

The big song hits of the day were `In the Good Old Summer Time' and `Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home'. In San Francisco Jim ('The Boilermaker') Jeffries knocked out Bob Fitzsimons in the 8th round to retain the heavyweight boxing championship of the world which he had won three years earlier from the same Fitzsimons. Shannon Lass won the Aintree Grand National, Cork became the All Ireland Hurling champions for the fifth time and Dublin (represented by Bray Emmets) won the football title.

And while all these things were happening all over the world, two new arrivals first saw the light of day. One was born in America and the other in Ireland. These babies grew into thriving adulthood and we are pleased to report that even after 100 years, they are still full of life and still give pleasure to many people...

One was the Teddy Bear, the other was Ireland's Own.