History reveals an idealist and patriot overwhelmed by events

History: Redmond: A Life Undone

By Chris Dooley

Gill & Macmillan, €24.95

Reviewed by Andrew Lynch

On July 18, 1912, an English suffragette called Mary Leigh tried to assassinate Prime Minister Herbert Asquith as he travelled down O’Connell Street in Dublin. She threw a small hatchet at his open carriage, which missed, but struck the ear of Irish Parliamentary Party leader John Redmond instead. A waiting delegation at the Gresham Hotel heard that ...