ABSTRACT
OnSaturday,6May1882,atabout7:30p.m.,LordFrederickCavendish,thenew ChiefSecretaryforIreland,andThomasHenryBurke,theUnderSecretary,were walkingtogetheracrossPhoenixParkinDublintodinewiththeLordLieutenant attheViceregalLodge.Suddenlytheyweresetuponbyfourmenwhostabbedthem todeathandthenescaped,leavingthetwovictimslyinginapoolofblood.Inthe midstofthequarreloverHomeRule,thisbrutalactwaspartoftheongoingfight byIrishnationalistsagainstBritishdomination.Ironically,LordCavendish,who hadarrivedandbeensworninassecretarythatveryafternoon,hadbroughtwith himnewsofhope:ParnellandGladstonehadreachedatentativeagreementon stepstobetakentowardsconciliation(Fairhall17).
