1882 - Phoenix Park Murders

Lord Frederick Cavendish, the newly appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, and Thomas Henry Burke, the Permanent Under Secretary, were assassinated in Phoenix Park by members of the Irish National Invincibles. This shocking act of political violence dealt a severe blow to efforts at conciliation between Britain and Ireland, leading to new coercive legislation and souring Anglo-Irish relations for years to come.

1916 - Continued Executions

Éamonn Ceannt, Michael Mallin, and Seán Heuston were executed at Kilmainham Gaol. The continuing executions were now generating significant public outrage, with growing calls from Irish parliamentary leaders and international observers for clemency. The British authorities' insistence on continuing the executions demonstrated their failure to understand the changing mood in Ireland.

1937 - Constitution Planning

Éamon de Valera circulated the first draft of what would become the 1937 Constitution to his cabinet colleagues. The document represented a decisive break with the Free State constitution and aimed to assert Irish sovereignty while reflecting Catholic social teaching. This new constitution would fundamentally reshape the Irish state's legal and political framework.