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On this day

May 4

1916
Battles

May 4, 1916

Execution of Edward Daly

Edward 'Ned' Daly, the youngest of the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, was put to death by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol on May 4, 1916. As commander of the First Battalion of the Irish Volunteers, he led his men in fierce fighting around the Four Courts area of Dublin. Daly's family had a strong republican history, and his execution, along with others, sparked widespread condemnation and contributed to a significant shift in Irish public opinion against British rule.

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1916
Battles

May 4, 1916

Execution of Joseph Plunkett

Joseph Plunkett, a poet, journalist, and a key planner of the Easter Rising, was executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol on May 4, 1916. Suffering from ill health, he married his fiancée Grace Gifford in the prison chapel just hours before his death. Plunkett was a signatory of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and served as Director of Military Operations during the Rising. His execution, alongside other leaders, intensified public sympathy for the nationalist cause in Ireland.

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1916
Battles

May 4, 1916

Execution of William Pearse

William Pearse, the younger brother of Patrick Pearse, was executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol on May 4, 1916, for his involvement in the Easter Rising. A talented artist and teacher, he fought alongside his brother at the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin. Despite pleading guilty to the charge of participating in the rebellion, he maintained that he had no direct command and was only a personal attaché to his brother. His execution was part of the British response to the Rising, which saw many of its leaders put to death.

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