1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Redmond, John Edward

REDMOND, JOHN EDWARD (1851–), Irish politician, son of W. A. Redmond, M.P., was born at Waterford in 1851. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1886, and subsequently to the Irish bar, though he never practised. He was a clerk in the vote office of the House of Commons before he entered parliament in 1881 as member for New Ross. From 1885 to 1891 he represented North Wexford. As party whip he rendered great service to the Irish members by his thorough grasp of the procedure of the House. At the time of the rupture of the Irish party consequent on the Parnell scandals, Redmond was the most eloquent member of the minority who continued to recognize his leadership, and in 1891 he became the accredited leader of the Parnellites. In 1900 the two Nationalist parties were amalgamated under his leadership. He contested Cork unsuccessfully in 1891, but was elected for Waterford, where he was re-elected in 1906. (For the political events under his leadership of the Irish parliamentary party up to 1910, see Ireland: History; English History and allied articles.)