John Edward Redmond (1 September 1856 – 6 March 1918) was an
Irish nationalist politician,
barrister,
MP in the
British House of Commons. He was best known as the moderate leader of the
Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to his death in 1918. He was born to an old prominent Catholic family in rural Ireland; several relatives were politicians. He took over control of the minority party faction loyal to
Charles Stewart Parnell when that leader died in 1891. Redmond was a conciliatory politician who achieved the twin dominant objectives of his political life, party unity and finally in September 1914, the prospect of
Irish Home Rule. The Act granted an interim form of self-government to Ireland. However, implementation of the Act was suspended by the outbreak of World War in 1914. His party lost control of Irish politics after the
Easter Rising of 1916.