Michael Davitt
Davitt, Michael (1846–1906), an Irish political leader. He was active in a number of groups seeking to gain Ireland's independence from British rule. As a member of the Fenian Brotherhood in the late 1860's, he participated in several disturbances that led to his imprisonment during 1870–77. In 1879 he formed the Irish Land League to encourage tenant farmers to resist eviction by British absentee landlords. The group was banned in 1881 by the British government and Davitt was imprisoned for two more years.
Davitt was born in Straide, County Mayo. His Fall of Feudalism in Ireland (1904) is an account of the struggles of Irish tenant farmers in the late 19th century.