Thomas MacDonagh was drawn into the Irish Republican Brotherhood through his strong conscience and sense of social justice, becoming a member of the Provisional Government and a signatory of the 1916 Easter Proclamation. He was executed on 3 May 1916 in Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin.

Shane Kenna was a Doctor of modern Irish history with an interest in late Victorian and Edwardian Irish nationalism. He was a regular speaker at international academic conferences, a media presence with Newstalk Radio, Near FM, BBC Radio 4 and published author who wrote for Irish Academic Press, The O'Brien Press, History Ireland, the BBC History Magazine and Kilmainham Tales.
Shane lectured at Trinity College, Dublin and Saor Ollscoil na hÉireann University and also designed modules on Irish history for the American College, Arcadia University, as well as organising and managing several courses on Modern History.
He died in February 2017.