1917 Timeline

3 Feb: North Roscommon by-election won by George Plunkett, father of the executed Joseph Mary Plunkett, on a separatist ticket.

From Century Ireland: Count Plunkett victorious in North Roscommon by-election.

 

7 March: Prime Minister Lloyd George give speech in House of Commons accepting the validity of unionist position, thereby prompting John Redmond and nationalist MPs to withdraw.

 

7-16 March: ‘February Revolution’ in Russia.

 

8 May: Joe McGuinness wins South Longford by-election for Sinn Fein, having been elected whilst imprisoned.

From Century Ireland: Sinn Fein victorious in South Longford.

 

7-14 June: Battle of Messines, on Western Front; 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) Division both participate.

From Century Ireland: The Irish soldier in Belgium, Summer 1917.

 

16 June: Remaining Easter Rising prisoners, including Eamon De Valera, released from custody.

From Century Ireland: Extraordinary celebrations as final prisoners released.

 

10 July: De Valera wins East Clare by-election by margin of five to one over nationalist rival.

From Century Ireland: Introducing De Valera.

 

25 July: First meeting of ‘Irish Convention’ in Trinity College Dublin.

From Century Ireland: Irish Convention opens in Dublin.

 

13 August 1917: W.T. Cosgrave wins Kilkenny parliamentary by-election for Sinn Fein.

From Century Ireland: W.T. Cosgrave elected as Sinn Féin MP for Kilkenny City.

 

16-18 August 1917: 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) Divisions suffer major casualties at Langemarck in course of Third Battle of Ypres.

From Century Ireland: The Irish soldier in Flanders in 1917.

 

25/30 Sept: death and funeral of 1916 veteran Thomas Ashe while being force-fed on hunger strike; he is interred in Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery.

From Century Ireland: The death and funeral of Thomas Ashe.

 

25-27 Oct: Official reorganisation of both Sinn Féin and the Irish Volunteers at conventions in Dublin; Éamon de Valera elected president of both organisations.

From Century Ireland: De Valera elected as president of Sinn Féin.

 

7 November (24 October os): Bolshevik Revolution begins in Russia.

From UCD History Hub: Judith Devlin on the Bolshevik Revolution.

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