Michael Earan O'Shay (June 3, 1912-October 8, 1962) was the President of Ireland from 1957 until his assassination on October 8, 1962. He is often credited with leading the Liberal Landslide of 1957, in which his center-left Labour Party and the left-wing Civil Party gained a commanding combined majority and formed the "coalition of exclusion" against the Christian Democrats and other parties. As such, O'Shay is considered the father of Ireland's Progressive Era, which came after the populist, grassroots Great Movement of the 1940's and 50's. O'Shay was known for being a staunch opponent of Irish secularism and was a critic of the Sebastienite regime, although he shared many of the Great Movement's criticisms of corporatism and "grouping ethics."
O'Shay's assassination is one of the most controversial in history, and he would be the first of three Irish Presidents to be assassinated between 1962 and 1979 (Timothy Hainneach was killed by a gunman in 1973, and Patrick Hillery was killed by a bomb in 1979). As such, the Progressive Era (1957-1985) is known for its volatility and instability within the country.