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On this day

May 5

1586
Deaths

May 5, 1586

Death of Henry Sidney

Sir Henry Sidney, a prominent English statesman who served multiple terms as Lord Deputy of Ireland, died on May 5, 1586. Sidney played a significant role in the Elizabethan conquest of Ireland, implementing policies aimed at consolidating English control and suppressing Irish rebellions. His administration was marked by efforts to introduce English law and customs, as well as military campaigns against Irish chieftains. His death marked the end of an influential career deeply intertwined with the complex and often turbulent history of Anglo-Irish relations during the 16th century.

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1916
Battles

May 5, 1916

Execution of John MacBride

On May 5, 1916, Major John MacBride, an Irish republican and military leader, was executed by firing squad at Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin for his participation in the Easter Rising. MacBride had fought in the Second Boer War and was a prominent figure in the Irish nationalist movement. His execution, along with other leaders of the Rising, fueled public resentment against British rule and significantly contributed to the growing support for Irish independence. He famously refused a blindfold, stating he had 'looked down the muzzles of too many guns in the South African war to fear death'.

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1981
Deaths

May 5, 1981

Death of Bobby Sands

Bobby Sands, a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a Member of Parliament, died on May 5, 1981, in HM Prison Maze, Northern Ireland, after 66 days on hunger strike. Sands was protesting the British government's withdrawal of Special Category Status for republican prisoners, which he and others viewed as political status. His death, and those of nine other hunger strikers, garnered international attention and intensified the conflict during The Troubles, leading to a surge in IRA recruitment and activity.

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