"On 4 June 1917, three days before his death, at a dinner organised by officers of the 7th Leinsters, he made a speech in which he 'prayed for the consumption of peace between North and South'.During preparations in Belgium for the Battle of Messines Redmond, now 56 years old, succeeded in obtaining special permission to re-join his Battalion, returning to 'B' Company of the 6th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, the night before the planned assault of 7 June 1917.