Image: John Redmond, who died 100 years ago today. National Library of Ireland.
John Redmond, the early twentieth century Irish nationalist leader, the centenary of whose death occurs on 6 March, deserves to be better remembered in this country than he is. No Irish nationalist leader was ever so committed to reconciliation with Britain. None so impressed the House of Commons and the British public nor made such a useful contribution to British democracy.
The failure of British leaders to reciprocate his support in the First World War led to more extreme elements seizing the leadership of Irish nationalism and embittered British-Irish relations for the rest of the twentieth century.
