1918 AD - 1 / January to June.

                                                                                                             "Sinn Fein Party M.P.'s Imprisoned -  Conscription."

1918 February 1st: Dr. Patrick Mac Cartan was put forward to be a representative for the "political" Sinn Fein Party / Irish Republican Party, but he was "defeated" at the bye - election that was held in South Armagh in the south - east of the Ulster Province.

     Edward Carson, the "leader" of the Ascendancy "Offiicial Unionists" in the Ulster Province proposed to David Lloyd - George, the British Coalition Prime Minister, that they should set up a "Federation" that would include England, Scotland and the 6 Counties of Ireland to be "artificially partitioned" from Ireland, to retain the Ascendancy there in the Ulster Province, as the other 3 Counties of Ireland that were not required by them in the Ulster Province, had too many Catholics in them together with the remaining 23 Counties who were according to the British Coalition Government "officially" now in the rest of Ireland, while John Redmond, the "leader" of the Irish Parliamentary Party now wanted "no part" of  this arrangement as he could "finally" see what it really meant was the "artificial partition" of the "whole" of Ireland.

March: There was still a movement in England to bring in "Conscription" in Ireland, and the Irish Catholic Bishops warned the British Imperial Coalition Government against trying to implement it, but that same evening David Lloyd - George the British Imperial Prime Minister, announced in the British House of Commons that Ireland would no longer be "excluded" from Conscription and the reaction in Ireland was immediate, with the Irish Parliamentary Party in a state of total shock and the Irish population as a whole, were more than ready to come out against it. Despite all of the previous warnings, the "political" Sinn Fein Party was now the only organization that was really prepared to take on the challenge, while Laurence O Neill who was now the Lord Mayor of Dublin, called a meeting at the Mansion House, inviting all interested parties in Ireland to attend to discuss the issue.

March 6th: John Redmond, the "leader" of the Irish Parliamentary Party, now died as a very broken hearted man, and Joseph Devlin declined to take over his position as the "Chairman" of the remaining members of the Irish Parliamentary Party, so John Dillon instead became their "leader" now in the Westminster House of Commons, and he too warned David Lloyd - George against his intention of introducing "Conscription" into Ireland, while Cathal Brugha / John Burgess had already travelled to England with the full intention of "killing" members in the British Parliament if they introduced "Conscription" into Ireland.

March 22nd: John Redmond's son, Captain Redmond from the Irish Parliamentary Party won his father's vacant seat in the bye - election for Co. Waterford in the south - east of the Munster Province, defeating Dr. Vincent White from the "political" Sinn Fein Party / Irish Republican Party.           

April 2nd: Sean Milroy, who was also standing for the "political" Sinn Fein Party, was also defeated in the bye - election for the east of Co. Tyrone in Central Ulster, which was the territory of Bishop Logue, where the "Orangemen" and the Hibernians showed they could combine if it suited their common interest.

April 3rd: Michael Collins, was "arrested" and "imprisoned" for 3 months for making a "seditious speech," and he was put in prison in Co. Sligo in the north - west of the Connacht Province, where the Dublin Castle (The Devill's 1/2 Acre) authorities still had no idea who they now had in one of their prisons.

April 18th: The meeting held to discuss the ramifications of the British Imperial Coalition Government's "Conscription" issue in Ireland, that had been organized by Laurence O Neill the Mayor of Dublin, took place at the Mansion House, were the Irish Parliamentary Party was now represented by their new leader, John Dillon, and Timothy Healy and the old Labour stalwart, William O Brien were also present and they were now open to recognizing the viewpoints of other political Irish Parties, and Eamonn de Valera and other "political" Sinn Fein Party leaders, together with the Irish Labour Party was also in attendance, and they all "united" and came to the same conclusion that the British Government's "Conscription" would be resisted by all means possible. The Catholic Bishops, were holding their own meeting at the same time elsewhere, and a deputation was sent from this new united Irish "political" group to meet with them to discuss the ramifications of "Conscription" being introduced in Ireland, and they then issued a "joint" statement, that they were in total agreement that the British Government's "Conscription" would be "resisted" by them all. The "Irish National Defence Fund" was now set up to countermand the British Imperial Government's efforts to try and suppress "support " against their intended introduction of "Conscription" in Ireland, as the British Imperial Government had finally, "united," all of the Irish factions in Ireland in a "common" cause, which had brought up the old tried and true proposition that, "To persecute is to unite any opposition."

April 26th: The Irish Volunteers, who were now under the overall leadership of the staid Eamonn De Valera then issued their own public statement, that they would also "resist" the British Imperial Government's "Conscription," by force if it was necessary.

May:  An "Irish Convention" was this month held in America, and Diarmait Lynch, who had been previously "deported" by the British Imperial Government from out of Ireland, was "elected" there as the National Secretary of the "Friends for Irish Freedom."

May 11th: The British Imperial Government "officially" appointed Lord French to take over their British Military Forces in Ireland.

May 15th: Michael Collins had already penetrated the "G" Division of the Dublin Castle's Metropolitan Police, which was in reality only a British Imperial Government political "spy" operation carried out against everyone in the Irish population.  

May 16th: John Dillon, the new leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, led the parliamentary members in a "withdrawal" from the British House of Commons at Westminster, when they passed their "Conscription Act / Military Service Bill" for Ireland as he had joined in with the Irish Labour Party, the "political" Sinn Fein Party and the Catholic hierarchy, in drawing up the anti - Conscription Pledges signed by "thousands" at the Sunday Masses, and also the Irish Labour Party called a one day "strike" throughout Ireland, except in Belfast in the north - east of the Ulster Province, to protest against "Conscription" being introduced into Ireland.

May: The Irish Parliamentary Party had by now well and truly run it's political "race" in the eyes of the majority of the population in Ireland, and because of this they were not able to stand a candidate against Dr. Patrick Mac Cartan who was once again representing the "political" Sinn Fein Party and he was able to "win" the seat for the north of Co. Offaly / North King's Co. bye - election in the mid - west of Southern Leinster, as the tide was by now well and truly turning due to the continuing obstinate and negative actions again taken by the British Imperial Coalition Government in England.

May: Eamonn de Valera, who was now also the "President" of the "political" Sinn Fein Party also, wanted to use only "passive resistance" against the coercion of the British Imperial Government, and together with John Dillon the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party they appeared on the same platform at Ballaghadereen, against the introduction of the British Government's "Conscription Act" being carried out in Ireland, while David Lloyd - George the Prime Minister of the British Coalition Government, then released the results of his own "Irish Convention," but no one showed any interest in it all, as it was considered to be just further English "window dressing."  

May 17th: Joseph Cavanagh / Kavanagh, a detective in the Dublin Castle's "G" Division was made aware of the British Coalition Government's intention to try and "arrest" all of the members of the "political" Sinn Fein Party, and this fact was passed onto Michael Collins, who had Joseph O Reilly warn as many of the "political" Sinn Fein Party members as he could, while at the meeting of the "political" Sinn Fein Party executive that night Michael Collins also notified all of the members present, including Eammon de Valera, of all of the names of the Irish members who were to be taken into custody by the British Imperial Government's Dublin Castle Military Force and they decided it would be in their interests to let the event take place. They then set up a group under Cathal Brugha / Charles Burgess to carry on if they were to be "arrested," as they considered the adverse "publicity," which would once again backfire on the British Imperial Government would also ensure Irish and especially "World" wide sympathy for the " imprisoned" members of the "political" Sinn Fein Party. They also felt Arthur Griffith, who would be representing the "political" Sinn Fein Party at the coming Co. Cavan election in the south of the Ulster Province, could also "benefit" from these further stupid negative actions, that were once again being carried out by the British Imperial Government, to also try and get him out of the way so that he could not participate in the coming General Elections, Eammon de Valera the "President of the "political" Sinn Fein Party was "arrested" by the British Military Forces on his way home to Greystones by rail, and he was then taken to Dun Laoghaire / Kingstown were he was "imprisoned" on a British Imperial Government Naval ship.

May 18th: As usual the British Imperial Coalition Government Cabinet, who were now "desperate" over the growing popularity of the "political" Sinn Fein Party in Ireland, were once again still not willing to face up to the "political" reality of it all, and they frantically introduced "fake" news announcing a "German Plot" to try and save their face, which was also done to suite their propaganda purposes for consumption in America and once again, in further actions of stupidity they had General French their newly appointed British Military Commander - in - Chief in Ireland to also begin "arresting" many more of the members of the "political" Sinn Fein Party.       

May 19th:  General French, on behalf of the British Imperial Coalition Government, had not only "arrested" Eamonn de Valera the President of the "political" Sinn Fein Party, but also Arthur Griffith / Art O Griofa their Vice - President, together with 72 other "political" Sinn Fein Party members, including William T. Cosgrave, Dr. Brian Cusack, Joseph Mac Guinness, Dr. Richard Hayes, Sean Milroy, Countess Constance Markievicz and Count Plunkett who were all placed on board a British Government Naval "gunboat" standing by at Dun Laoghaire near Dublin, from where they were then taken away out of Ireland altogether, to be interred in "prisons" once again in England at Usk and Gloucester. Maude Gonne Mac Bride, the wife of the previously "executed" John Mac Bride, who were both the parents of Sean mac Bride, and Tomas Derrig were also among those "arrested" and imprisoned and the British Imperial Government, due to their usual lack of common sense, had once again unwittingly and definetly "expanded" the profile of the "political" Sinn Fein Party now for the whole "World" to see, which gave out clear signals of recognition that they were now the "democratic political force" to be reckoned with in Irish politics. Michael Collins, decided it was now time to turn his attention to the Irish Volunteers, who had been basically left intact, and they continued on with their drilling exercises, during which many of them were also "arrested" and charged by the British Imperial Court Martials and "imprisoned" also.

May 27th: Ernest O Malley, the Irish Independence fighter, and future "Anti - Treaty IRA" activist managed to escape from the Dublin Castle's R.I.C. police custody.

     Cathal Brugha / Charles Burgess, due to all of these mainstream "arrests" by the British Imperial Government was now in charge of the "Irish Republic," and he personally wanted to concentrate on the "Conscription" debate in Ireland, and Richard Mulcahy was appointed the "Deputy Chief of Staff," and subsequently took over much of the responsibilities that Cathal Brugha had previously had in the Irish Volunteers who had desperately wanted to bring the Irish Volunteers under the control of the elected members of the Dail Eireann  / Irish Assembly / Irish Republic but Michael Collins had not agreed to an Irish Volunteer Convention to bring this about, as he had considered that to hold a Convention now would only openly play into the British Government's hands. Because of his previous "refusal" to bring this about the staid Cathal Brugha had been "upset" with him, and due to his general attitude he was never to really get over it. Among the Irish Volunteer officers were, M.W.O Reilly who was their "Director of Training," Michael Staines who was their "Director of Equipment," Diarmuid O Hegarty / Ua hEigceartaigh who was their "Director of Communications," and Richard Mac Kee / Mac Aoidh who was to be their overall Dublin Brigade Commander who was play a big part in the forming of the successful "Flying Columns" under the direction of Michael Collins later on.    

     The "arrest" of the 73 members of the "political" Sinn Fein Party by the British Imperial Coalition was intended to leave them totally "leaderless" and inefectual in the coming General Westminster Elections, but along with Michael Collins, Richard Mac Kee, and Harry Boland who was their Acting - Secretary, they were well organized, while Harry Boland and Tom Kelly who were also assisted by Michael Collins, ran what was left of the "political" Sinn Fein Party and John A. Murphy of the Clann na Gael / The Organization in America, ensured the collection of 60,000 pounds on behalf of the "Irish National Aid Association" for the dependents of those who were imprisoned or effected by the continual British Imperial Government's oppression, and by now had also joined forces with the "Irish Volunteer Dependents Fund." They decided to stay "independent" of any "political" activity, to ensure the continuation of the good work they were carrying out for the oppressed general population in Ireland, and because of this they would now have to let the services of Michael Collins go as their Secretary due to his association with the various Irish Republican "political" elements.   

June: John Dillon, the new leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party had wanted the "political" Sinn Fein Party to let the Lord Mayor of Dublin stand for the seat  in the east of Co. Cavan in the south of the Ulster Province, to represent both the Irish Parliamentary Party and the "political" Sinn Fein Party, but the staid Eamonn de Valera the President of the "political" Sinn Fein Party had said "no" and Arthur Griffith the Vice President of the "political" Sinn Fein Party was now put up for the seat instead, and "won" it although he was still "imprisoned" in a jail in England, which also gave his "success" much greater emphasis for the cause.

June 3rd: The British Government's Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 Acre), authorities which were now under the control of Lord French, called for 50,000 Irishmen to join the British Imperial Army by October 15th, as he continued on with his "suppression" of all things Irish, including the "political" Sinn Fein Party, their Sinn Fein Clubs, the Irish Volunteers, the Cuman na mBan, and even the "Gaelic League." 

June 6th: The "political" Sinn Fein Party members who were still held as "prisoners" in Lincoln Jail in England, were finally allowed to write to their relatives, and Eamonn de Valera the President of the "political" Sinn Fein Party was able to inform Dublin that he and 12 others were now being held by the British Imperial Coalition in Lincoln Prison.

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