John Redmond

JOHN Redmond was born in Co Wexford in 1856 and played an important role in Irish politics during the First World War.

Throughout his life Redmond wanted Irish self-government. To try and achieve it he became the leader of moderate Irish nationalism and was the head of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918, the year of his death.

In September 1914 the Irish Home Rule Act was passed granting selfgovernment to Ireland within the United Kingdom, but the implementation of Home Rule was suspended by the outbreak of the First World War.

Redmond was deeply opposed to the use of physical force for political change, but called on volunteers to join Irish regiments and support the British and Allied war effort and fight against the Germans to restore the “freedom of small nations” in Europe.

He wanted to ensure that Home Rule in Ireland would be implemented straight after a war that wasn’t expected to last very long.

It went on for four years, however, and following the Easter Rising in 1916, Irish public opinion moved towards full Irish independence leading to Redmond’s party losing its dominant role in Irish politics. DID you know that the Royal Navy in the First World War painted many of its ships in bold colours to make things difficult for the enemy?

Theshipsbecameknownasthe Dazzle Section with the idea coming from artist Norman Wilkinson who as a Royal Navy volunteer understood the dangers of German U- Boats.

His idea was not to make ships ‘vanish’ on the sea but rather to paint them in such a way as to confuse those on the German submarines.

Model ships were built and painted to see which patterns were most effective. Hundreds of models were made, placed on a turntable and then looked at through a periscope. It was decided that designs using bold shapes and contrasting colours with light and dark