This refers to Irish-nationalist Charles Stewart Parnell's affair with Katherine O'Shea, wife of Captain William O'Shea, an Irish soldier and Member of Parliament. Captain O'Shea had not divorced his wife because she was expecting a large inheritance. When Captain O'Shea finally filed for divorce in 1889, the ensuing trial revealed the affair and the fact that Parnell had fathered three of Katherine's children. The divorce scandal severely damaged Parnell's reputation and caused the Catholic church to condemn his immorality.
