On May 26, 1900, Luke Dillon, a prominent figure in the Fenian dynamite campaign of 1881–1885, was sentenced to life imprisonment. He and two others were convicted for attempting to bomb the Welland Canal in Canada, a vital shipping route for Britain during the Boer War. Born in Leeds to Irish famine refugees, Dillon later joined Clan na Gael in the United States, dedicating himself to Irish independence. He had previously planted bombs in London, targeting Scotland Yard and the House of Commons. Dillon steadfastly refused clemency appeals, serving his full sentence and remaining committed to the cause until his death in 1930.
