1914 Timeline
1914:
18 January: ITGWU, in closed session, recommends that members return to work if they are not obliged to take pledge repudiating membership.
From History Ireland: The aftermath of the Dublin Lockout.
20 March: ‘Curragh Incident’: 57 of 70 officers of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, along with their commanding officer, Gen. Hubert Gough, state that they would prefer dismissal from the army to being ordered to enforce Home Rule in Ulster.
From Century Ireland: Mutiny in the Curragh!
2 April: Foundation of Cumann na mBan.
From Century Ireland: Cumann na mBan founded in Dublin.
From History Ireland: The founding of Cumann na mBan.
24–25 April: Unionist gunrunning in Ulster. Substantial quantities of weapons intended for the UVF are landed from the Clyde Valley at Larne, Donaghadee and Bangor.
From History Ireland: The Larne gun-running.
12 May: Amendment to Home Rule bill announced.
25 May: Home Rule bill passes through the House of Commons for a third time.
10 June: John Redmond published an open letter in the Freeman’s Journal demanding that the Irish Party nominate representatives to the provisional committee of the Irish Volunteers.
From Century Ireland: Redmond moves to take control of Irish Volunteers.
From Century Ireland: Sinn Féin oppose John Redmond’s attempt to control Volunteers.
16 June: Redmond’s demand is accepted by the Irish Volunteers.
23 June: Government of Ireland (Amendment) Bill presented to House of Lords to provide for temporary exclusion of parts of Ulster from jurisdiction of Home Rule Parliament.
From History Ireland: The limits of partition.
From History Ireland: The partition of Ireland.
28 June: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo.
From History Ireland: Ireland and the prelude to the Great War.
8 July: Government of Ireland (Amendment) Bill altered in House of Lords to permit permanent exclusion of parts of Ulster.
From History Ireland: The partition of Ireland.
10 July: Meeting of Ulster Provisional Government in Belfast.
From History Ireland: Ulster unionist propaganda against Home Rule.
21–24 July: Buckingham Palace conference fails to secure agreement on status of Ulster in relation to Home Rule.
26 July: Nationalist gunrunning outside Dublin. Weapons intended for the Irish Volunteers and Fianna Éireann are landed from the Asgard at Howth, Co. Dublin. Unsuccessful attempts by DMP to seize weapons ensue; 4 killed and 30 wounded as the King’s Own Scottish Borderers open fire on a crowd at Bachelor’s Walk in Dublin.
From History Ireland: The ‘Howth Mausers’.
From Century Ireland: Gun-running at Howth, and three people shot dead by British soldiers at Bachelor’s Walk.
27 July: Inquiry announced into events at Howth and Bachelor’s Walk.
1–2 August: Nationalist gunrunning at Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow.
From Century Ireland: Mark Duncan on Ireland in August 1914.
3 August: German declaration of war against France; John Redmond pledges Irish support for any war and suggests that the Irish Volunteers and UVF should take responsibility for defence of Ireland.
From History Ireland: The rhetoric of Redmondism, 1914-16.
4 August: German invasion of Belgium; UK declares war.
From Century Ireland: Britain declares war on Germany.
8 August: Defence of the Realm Act, 1914.
From Century Ireland: William Murphy on the Defence of the Realm Act.
15 August: Censorship of press begins.
21 August: Formation of ‘new’ army, to include the 10th (Irish) Division and the 36th (Ulster) Division.
9 September: IRB and others meet in Dublin and resolve to use the European war as an opportunity to carry out an insurrection; meeting includes all seven signatories of the eventual ‘Proclamation’ used in the 1916 Rising.
From History Ireland: A special issue on the ninetieth anniversary of the Easter Rising.
From Century Ireland: Planning a rising for Ireland.
11 September: Formation of second ‘new army’, to include the 16th (Irish) Division.
18 September: Government of Ireland Act, 1914, is suspended.
20 September: John Redmond gives speech at Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow, arguing that Irish Volunteers should enlist ‘in defence of right, of freedom, of religion in this war’.
From Century Ireland: Redmond urges Irish Volunteers to join the British Army.
24 September: Redmond’s leadership of Irish Volunteers repudiated by members of original committee, including Eoin MacNeill.
From Century Ireland: Irish Volunteers spilt over Redmond’s recruitment plea.
25–26 September: Redmond and Prime Minister Asquith address recruiting meeting in Dublin’s Mansion House.
From Century Ireland: Asquith attends Dublin recruitment rally and shots fired as Dubliners protest against recruitment to British army.
28 September: Formation of Irish Neutrality League with James Connolly as president.
5 October: Irish Independent published letter by Sir Roger Casement protesting against Irish involvement in the war.
25 October: Irish Volunteer convention meets at Abbey Theatre, Dublin.
1 November: Seizure of weapons belonging to the Irish National Volunteers in Dublin by persons unknown.
4 November: Louise Gavan Duffy writes to various newspapers asserting the independence of Cumann na mBan from either of the existing Volunteer organisations.
18 November: Captain Robert Monteith dismissed from British government service due to links with Irish Volunteers and is subsequently appointed to assist the training of the Irish Volunteers
25 November: Appointment of sub-committee of Irish Volunteers to oversee training and reorganisation.
2–4 December: Suppression of Sinn Féin, Irish Freedom and the Irish Worker.
27 December: Sir Roger Casement agrees to assist establishment of ‘Irish Brigade’ in German service, to be recruited from Irish prisoners in German custody.
From Century Ireland: Roger Casement in Berlin for talks.
From History Ireland: Roger Casement’s ‘Irish Brigade’.
Explore the Military Archives Timeline of the revolutionary decade.