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1917 - 1918 John Redmond, the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, which was by now becoming more and more out of touch with the general Irish population, was to state that he was willing to go to any lengths to satisfy the Ascendancy Unionists in the Ulster Province, and the Irish Convention, set up by David Lloyd - George the British Home Minister, later on was to turn out to be a failure also, along with the proposal of Dominion Home Rule, moved previously by Sir Horace Plunkett, who was in the chair, and who was the leader of the Irish Dominion League, which was itself to continue to last until 1921.

March: David Lloyd - George, the British Home Minister, was now willing to give Irish self - government to the people of Ireland, if they accepted the new British Imperial Government amended 4th Irish Home Rule Bill, which would see it Artificially Partitioned under his scheme, but not to those who rejected it, and he also passed another Amendment to the Bill, of “No force to be used” to recombine the whole of Ireland. John Redmond, the Irish Parliamentary Party leader said, "No" to this proposal, as he wanted total Irish Home Rule for Ireland, and the Irish Nationalist Constitutionalists then in total despair, left the British House of Commons at Westminster, and no decision was finalised in the debate. Although John Redmond's manifesto of loyalty to the British Imperial Government came up, he was still compelled to oppose them, appealing to the Irish - Americans and the Dominions, to press for real genuine Arbitration, so that they would act also toward Ireland as per their original statement on their original position of Small Nations.

The Irish poets and the dreamers, who had given their all for Ireland, were now gone, but not forgotten, and the Supreme Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood / I.R.B. decided to re - organize the Irish Volunteers, and the I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood was to also set up throughout Ireland in branches of the Gaelic League, which had not as yet been proscribed by the British Government authorities. They also continued on with the organization of the Sinn Fein Party, as their political wing, assisted by the English Press, who continued to refer to the Irish Republicans as Sinn Feiners, as their aim was still to bring about Irish Independence in Ireland, under the guidelines previously laid down by Arthur Griffith, the founder of the Sinn Fein Party / We Ourselves. They began the re - organization of the Irish Volunteers, under the direction of Michael Collins, who was to draft the new Constitution for the revamped organization, and he was to carry out this responsibility together with Richard Mulcahy, who was another member of the I.R.B Supreme Council, who were once again to be the real military force in Ireland. (The I.R.B. Constitution, was also revised under the scrutiny of Thomas Ashe, Diarmait Lynch, Con and Michael Collins, which was further strengthened by their members, who were now in the many branches of the Gaelic League.) Although there was still a small number of Irish men who were still left in the former Redmonite - National Volunteers, under the leadership of Colonel Moore, who acted on behalf of John Redmond who was by now the much bewildered leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, they too soon left that organization, and joined in with the revamped Irish Volunteers. Ernest O Malley, from the Ui Briuin Sept in Co. Mayo un the mid - west of the Connacht Province, was one of those who joined up also, and later on he was to become one of the major players against the Anglo - Irish Treaty that would be made at the end of the Anglo - Irish War in 1922, who then went on to form the Anti - Treaty IRA, and bring about a Civil War in Ireland the same year, all due to the Artificial Partition of the 6 Counties, from the 9 in the Ulster Province by the British Imperial Government, under this particular malevolent Treaty.

Arthur Griffiths, the founder of the Gaelic League and the Sinn Fein Party . We Ourselves, who would become known as the Father of the Irish Nation, had since been released from Redding Jail in England, and he started the newspaper "Nationality," as it's editor, and the Sinn Fein Party was now ready to come into it's own as the next real Irish political force, for the removal of the continuing oppression and repression by the British Imperial Government over the population of Ireland. The authority of the Irish Parliamentary Party / I.P. Party, which was still under the control of it's leader John Redmond, who had previously called for Irish blood after the Irish 1916 Easter Uprising, was now well and truly in the decline. The I.P. Party. was now more or less considered throughout Ireland as just another tool to be made use of by the British Westminster Parliament, although this certainly was not true of the likes of John Dillon, John Boland and the old Labour stalwart, William O Brien. Following the Irish 1916 Easter Rising Laurence Ginnell / Lorcan Mag Fhionnghail another member of the I.P. Party had been the only voice heard among them, against the executions in the Westminster Parliament, as he certainly was not frightened to speak out against his leader John Redmond, as was also John Dillon.

January 20th: Count Plunkett, was now expelled by the elitist Royal Dublin Society, by a vote of 236 to 58 just for being the father of Joseph Plunkett who had signed the Proclamation of the Irish Republic for which he was executed, and there were also his other sons, George and John who were now Irish prisoners in English prisons to be considered, but his expulsion by this elitist group was to backfire, as it really upset the people of Ireland generally as a Nation. Eamonn de Valera, who was to be a future political leader in Ireland, who had been one of the commanders of the Irish Volunteers during the 1916 Easter Uprising, was also still in prison in England, where he let it be known generally that he personally was not in favour of taking on the Irish Parliamentary Party / I.P. Party in the coming elections, and also stated that it was his opinion that the Irish Volunteers should refrain from any political affiliations. (Time would soon change his attitude.)

February: Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith together with the I.R.B., the Irish Nation League and the Irish Volunteers, never the less threw all their support behind Count Plunkett, who had made up his mind to stand for an elected position in the Westminster Parliament in the coming by - election for the seat in North Co. Roscommon in his own right, and the Republicans well aware of his anti - British stance supported his nomination at every chance. The election had been called due to the demise of James J. O Kelly, who had been an old Fenian himself, and although it was considered an Irish Parliamentary Party / I.P. Party safe seat, Father Michael Flanagan also gave many speeches in support of his candidature. He won the seat easily, by polling 3,022 votes beating Divine from the Irish Parliamentary Party / I.P. Party who gained 1708 votes, and Kelly from the Independent Nationalists with 687 votes. Arthur Griffiths, was convinced that non - attendance at the Westminster Parliament by any of those who were elected to represent Ireland, to be the mainstay of a true Irish Policy, and he was to be relieved when Count Plunkett informed all and sundry that he would not recognize the British Parliament. Count Plunkett, then made it known that it was his intention to form his own party, which Arthur Griffith was totally against, as he wanted a joint Executive from all of the Irish Nationals as an Irish united group.

Michael Collins, meanwhile took over from Joseph Mac Grath as the secretary of the National Aid Association, which had been set up to assist the families and the dependents of all the Irish prisoners held in jails in England, who had been left in desperate circumstances with no bread winners to keep them going. No information on what was now occurring in Ireland over the 1916 Easter Uprising was allowed by the British Imperial Government to find it's way to the Irish prisoners, who were still being held in the English Prisons, but despite this much correspondence was received by them from Ireland, concerning "Kathleen Ni Houlihan," the name used for "Ireland" until the Governor of the English prison was also informed to black out all references to her name.

March: David Lloyd - George the British Government Home Minister, now moved an Amendment to allow the "Ulster Home Rule Bill" to proceed Artificially Partitioning 6 of the Counties, from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province to continue on with the Ascendancy in Ireland, which naturally upset the Irish Nationalist Constitutionals in the I.P. Party also who were still Ireland's elected representatives in the Westminster Parliament. With their leader, John Redmond they walked out of the Chamber in England, again, as they where now also against Irish Home Rule being coupled with the Conscription of Irish men, as was the Catholic hierarchy.

March 17th: Count Plunkett, sent a letter to all the popularly elected Irish Boards, Irish National organizations and the Irish Nationalists generally, to send 2 delegates each to a Conference to be held at the Mansion House on the 19th April, to seek representatives for Ireland at the coming World Peace Conference in Paris, as to the previous commitment on the political position of Small Nations. It was now hoped that Irish Independence from the repression of the British Imperial Government in England could be finally achieved by this peaceful means.

Meanwhile Eamonn de Valera, the staid previous Irish Volunteer Dublin Brigade commander, who was still in an English prison, in a fervour wrote to Simon Donnelly, stating that in his opinion, a defeat at the coming elections might well mean ruin for the cause of Irish Independence, and that the Irish Volunteers should not take sides, as in his opinion, none of the candidates should be officially recognized as standing in the interests of the Irish Volunteers. Eventually in a further panic mode, that the Irish Nationalist might gain representatives in the British Parliament, the British Imperial Government was to arrest 73 leaders of the Irish political Sinn Fein Party without trial, and deport them to England to be imprisoned, while trying to ensure that they did not participate in the democratic process of the General Election, and they were to be still in prison when the 1st World War was to end.

April: America now also entered the War, between England and Germany, and their President Woodrow Wilson urged the British Imperial Government to settle the ongoing problems with the Irish people, so that it would also unite the American public towards the War. Michael Collins, now also put forward Joseph Mac Guinness for the coming by - election in the Irish seat in Co. Longford in the north - west of Northern Leinstere, which was another Irish Parliamentary Party - I.P. Party safe seat, to represent the political Sinn Fein Party, in their own right for the first time, even though he was still being held physically as a prisoner in Lewes Jail in Sussex in England. They let it be generally known also that he too would not take up his seat in the Westminster Parliament if he was successful on behalf of the Sinn Fein Party, and once again, the staid Eamonn de Valera came out, with his opinion, against him standing, and even went as far as drawing up a statement of refusal for him to sign, which stated he would not accept the nomination. The Irish Nation League, the Irish Labour Party, the Irish Republican Brotherhood / I.R.B. and the Sinn Fein Party, now combined, and formed a Joint Committee to foster Irish Unity, just as Arthur Griffith had previously proposed, an although it had not been accepted at first, it had now become a political reality.

May 17th: The Catholic Irish Bishops, also now decided to make a stand on the Artificial Partition of Ireland, into 2 separate parts by the British Imperial Government, and came out declaring the "Partition of Ireland was as dead as a doornail," as far as they were concerned. May 25th: Joseph Mc Guinness won the seat in Co. Longford for the Sinn Fein Party, by 37 votes despite the involvement of Eamonn de Valera who was against it, and this was also to be a further embarrassment to the British Imperial Government's position of overall authority in Ireland. May 28th: The Irish prisoners at Lewes Prison, who were being held there by the British Imperial Government without trial, went on strike and refused to work, to bring pressure to bear on David Lloyd - George the British Home Minister, to be treated as Prisoners of War, as they were well aware of their eventual forthcoming release from prison, and they intended to pull it off, before he was able to announce the date for their release. Because of their actions, Eamonn de Valera and other individual Irish prisoners were returned to Maidstone Prison, while some were also taken to Parkhurst, to split them up, but they still continued to carry out their rebellious acts against the British authorities there. Cathal Brugha / Charles Burgess was able to create quite an amount of useful propaganda out of these rebellions in the English prisons, where he resorted to blowing them out of all proportion for political purposes in Ireland.

Countess Constance Markievicz, was also still being held in Aylesbury Jail in England, were the conditions were very bad, and she became a Catholic during this period in her life. - Eoin Mac Neill, the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers, who had tried desperately to stop the 1916 Easter Uprising, by countermanding Patrick Pearse's orders, was now also arrested and imprisoned once again, as was Terence Mc Swiney from Co. Cork in Southern Munster. May: David Lloyd - George the British Home Minister, called his Irish Convention, purporting to draw up his own scheme of government in Ireland.

June: Cathal Brugha / Charles Burgess and Dr. Thomas Dillon, were calling for further unity in the Sinn Fein Party ranks, and Arthur Griffith agreed to a committee of 6 members from the Sinn Fein Party, 6 members from Count Plunkett's newly formed Liberty Clubs, and 6 members of the previous Joint Committee. At this time, the Sinn Fein Party's policy, as outlined under Arthur Griffith's original proposals, was still restoration of the Irish Parliament under the auspices of the British Crown, while the Irish Volunteers and the I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood wanted complete Irish Independence. June 10th: Count Plunkett and Cathal Brugha, decided to hold a joint public meeting to protest at the treatment of the Irish prisoners by the British Imperial Government, which was then proclaimed illegal by the British Government authorities in Dublin Castle, but they continued to hold it anyway, and a huge crowd attended, and many were arrested and a R.I.C. Police Inspector was killed by a hurling stick. June 15th: Andrew Bonar - Law the Conservative leader, who was now acting as the Chancellor of the British Exchequer, and the leader of the House of Commons, announced that the British Cabinet had decided to release the rest of the Irish prisoners, who had been sentenced to imprisonment by the previous British Court Marshalls. They were taken to Pentonville Prison, were they were given civilian clothes and eventually arrived back into Dublin, where they were given a very warm welcome as the people of Ireland, who had previously been hostile towards the original efforts to bring about Irish Independence, now saw things in a different light. Many of those who had been returned to Ireland, from the English prisons, were to now continue on with the struggle for Irish Independence and were even more committed then ever. (Once again in human nature, if you want to make anything stronger - repress it.)

John Redmond's brother, Major William Redmond the M.P. for East Co. Clare was killed in the War at Messines, and John Redmond had previously stated in desperation of appeasement to the British Imperial Government that, "He would go to any lengths to satisfy the Northerners," and any one who opposed him was now generally known as a Sinn Feiner, whether they belonged to the Sinn Fein Party or not. Eamonn de Valera, the previous Irish Volunteer Dublin Brigade commander, although still in prison in England, was now put forward by the Sinn Fein Party for the vacant seat in East Co. Clare (The Banner County), and was now in agreement with this decision, despite all of his previous carrying on over Joseph Mac Guinness being nominated by them. This was on the condition, that Eoin Mac Neill the previous leader of the Irish Volunteers accompanied him during the rallies, and the Irish Volunteers then organized his election with military precision leaving no stone unturned. He put forward his policies, for the return of the Irish Gaelic language, for Irish Independence at the Peace Conference in Paris, non - attendance at the British Westminster Parliament, no Partition of Ireland, and an Independent Irish Republic. He won the seat, although he too at this time was still being held physically in prison in England also. (This had been originally the seat in the past of Daniel O Connell the Liberator and Emancipator, and he won it by polling 5,010 votes against Patrick Lynch, who was a Crown Prosecutor representing the Irish Parliamentary Party. (The Irish Parliamentary Party, under John Redmond, by now had been discredited over the Irish Home Rule mess, the Artificial Partition of Ireland mess, and the British Imperial Conscription issue, and they were only to poll 2,035 votes. The National Aid Fund under Michael Collins, was to grant Eamonn de Valera 250 pounds to continue his political campaign, in which he was always to appear in his Irish Volunteer uniform, which was contrary to the edict by the British Imperial Government and Patrick Lynch his opponent on this occasion, was to eventually become his supporter, and also the Attorney General in his future Fianna Fail ( Warriors of Destiny) Government in 1932.

June 18th - July: All of the other Irish prisoners that were still being held in English Jails were now released, including Eamonn de Valera, who arrived back in Dublin as a member of the old Irish Republican Brotherhood / I.R.B. and who was now the accepted leader of the Irish Volunteer forces in Ireland, but he would not now join in with the new revamped Irish Republican Brotherhood, as it had been condemned by the Catholic hierarchy as a secret society and in his opinion, it had outlived it's usefulness. Eamonn de Valera's opinion of the revamped I.R.B. was also shared by Cathal Brugha / Charles Burgess, who had by now become a bitter opponent of the new I.R.B., and they now both naively and honestly believed that the Irish Volunteers would be allowed to work openly within the authority of the British Imperial Government for a new democratic society for a peaceful Irish Independence

+On to 1917 / 2 - July to December

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