James Connolly (5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was born in Edinburgh, and founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party. Along with James Larkin, Connolly was central to the Dublin Lockout of 1913. Following the lockout, Connolly and Clarke became founding members of the Irish Labour Party. He was a prominent force in the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. Connolly took over leadership of the Union and its military organisation the Irish Citizen Army. He became a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising and a signatory of the Irish Proclamation. He faced arrest in the aftermath of the Easter Rising and was sentenced to be shot. He was executed by firing squad on 12 May 1916.
