John Redmond

John Redmond
Redmond, c. 1909
Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party
In office 6 February 1900 – 6 March 1918
Preceded by	Charles Stewart Parnell
Succeeded by	John Dillon
Member of Parliament for Waterford City
In office 23 December 1891 – 6 March 1918
Preceded by	Richard Power
Succeeded by	William Redmond
Member of Parliament for North Wexford
In office 24 November 1885 – 5 November 1891
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Thomas Joseph Healy
Member of Parliament for New Ross
In office 31 January 1881 – 24 November 1885
Preceded by	Joseph William Foley
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	(1856-09-01)1 September 1856 Kilrane, County Wexford, Ireland
Died	6 March 1918(1918-03-06) (aged 61) London, England
Political party	Irish Parliamentary
Spouses	Johanna Dalton ​ ​ (m. 1883; died 1889)​ Ada Beesley ​ (m. 1899)​
Children	3, including William
Alma mater	Trinity College Dublin
Profession	Barrister

John Edward Redmond (1 September 1856 – 6 March 1918) was an Irish nationalist politician, barrister, and MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He was best known as leader of the moderate Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) from 1900 until his death in 1918. He was also the leader of the paramilitary organisation the Irish National Volunteers (INV).

He was born to an old prominent Catholic family in rural Ireland; several relatives were politicians. He took over control of the minority IPP faction loyal to Charles Stewart Parnell when that leader died in 1891. Redmond was a conciliatory politician who achieved the two main objectives of his political life: party unity and, in September 1914, the passing of the Government of Ireland Act 1914. The Act granted limited self-government to Ireland, within the United Kingdom. However, implementation of Home Rule was suspended on the outbreak of the First World War. Redmond called on the National Volunteers to join Irish regiments of the New British Army and support the British and Allied war effort to restore the "freedom of small nations" on the European continent, thereby to also ensure the implementation of Home Rule after a war that was expected to be of short duration. However, after the Easter Rising of 1916, Irish public opinion shifted in favour of militant republicanism and full Irish independence, so that his party lost its dominance in Irish politics.