Today Marks the 97th anniversary of the third round of executions of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. Only one man was executed on May 5th. Major John MacBride, was a professional soldier and Irish Nationalist. MacBride participated in the second Boar-War, where he lead a brigade of Irish commando's later known as the MacBride Brigade, where he fought the British army on the side of the  Boars. Often times, the MacBride Brigade was forced to fight Irish brigades within the ranks of the British military such as the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. MacBride was kept out of the loop of the planning of the Easter rising due to the British already keeping a close eye on him for his participation in the Second Boar-war. Mac-Bride was unexpectedly thrown into the conflict and joined up with Thomas MacDonagh at Jacob's Factory, and eventually took the role of second in command. Before his execution, MacBride requested to not be blindfolded, saying "I have looked down the muzzles of too many guns in the South African war to fear death and now please carry out your sentence." He was executed two days before his 48th birthday on May 5th, 1916, and  is buried in the cemetery at Arbour Hill Prison in Dublin.