Charles Stewart Parnell Trivia Quiz

Answer: Katherine O' Shea

She was given the derogatory nickname 'Kitty O' Shea' by members of the public. It is widely acknowledged that the discovery of their ongoing affair led the political downfall of Parnell himself and caused a scandal that caused a bitter divide in Irish politics for more than a decade.

Answer: Captain William Henry O' Shea

Captain O' Shea was a prominent and controversial member of the Irish Home Rule Party. He refused to take the party pledge, and often sat with the Liberals in the House of Commons, a fact which made him unpopular with the Irish party members. It is widely assumed that he was aware of the affair between his wife and Parnell, and may even have encouraged it for his own political gain.

Answer: May

The Kilmainham Treaty is widely regarded as one of Parnell's best achievements, as it gained concessions for poor landowners in Ireland, brought an almost complete stop to agrarian agitation and also cemented his alliance with Gladstone. It was agreed on May 2nd 1882.

Answer: The Uncrowned King of Ireland

This biography provides a fascinating insight into the domestic affair between Parnell and Katherine O' Shea, but is surprisingly vague on key areas of their relationship, for example, their children. However, it has been suggested that Gerard O' Shea (Katherine's son by Cpt. William O' Shea) stepped in and edited the book without his mother's knowledge, in order to preserve his late father's reputation.

Answer: 24th December, 1889

When O' Shea filed for divorce citing Parnell as a co-respondent, no-one within Parnell's inner circle was surprised, as the affair had been common knowledge within the party for some time. However, they were worried about the possible reprecussions for the party, but when they appealed to Parnell, he assured them that 'he would be vindicated'.

This was not to be, and the party was torn in two.

Answer: Timothy Healy

This comment was greeted with cries of outrage from the Parnellite faction, and Parnell himself demanded that Healy take back his remark. Healy did so, and thereafter remained silent, confident (as he later noted in his memoirs) that his remark would live on in the memories of those who had heard it. As he said himself, the damage had been done.

Answer: Wicklow

Parnell and all his siblings were born on this estate in Co. Wicklow, which Parnell later inherited along with its debts. In fact these debts were so sizeable that at one point he was investigating the possibility of mortgaging the estate. This information was leaked to the public, whereupon an immediate collection was undertaken nationwide, which eventually amounted to £40,000, an enormous sum.

This was then presented to Parnell at a ceremony. However, he was very embarassed to be the recipient of such charity, and was consequently rather stiff and reserved when taking the money.

In fact, it was said by some onlookers that he was positively ungrateful. However, he put the money to good use, and that which was not needed to pay off debts he put back into the Land League.

Answer: Train stations

Parnell and Mrs. O' Shea had a highly complicated method of communicating with each other while in the House of Commons, where she often observed him from the Ladies Gallery. If he touched his handkerchief while making a speech, this meant that she was to meet him at a train station.

She therefore spent many hours pacing up and down station platforms waiting for him, and became quite friendly with many of the night porters!

Answer: Meath

Even though Parnell was later elected to the Cork constituency, he was initially MP for Meath. His interest in politics had been well cultivated by this time; in 1874 he was elected High Sheriff of Wicklow, and he had a previous and unsuccessful campaign for a seat in a different constituency.

Answer: Church of Ireland

Astonishingly for an Irish nationalist leader, Parnell was indeed a member of the Church of Ireland. This did not generally cause problems within the party, but it did create friction between Parnell and the Catholic Church in Ireland during the latter stages of his political career, especially after details of his divorce and secret relationship came to light.