1919 in Ireland

Events

January 21 – Dáil Éireann meets for the very first time in the Round Room of the Mansion House, Dublin. An independent Irish Republic is declared.
February 3 – Eamon de Valera, the leader of Sinn Féin, and two other prisoners escape from Lincoln Prison in England.
April 1 – Fifty-two members of Sinn Féin attend thes second meeting of Dáil Éireann. Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh is elected Ceann Comhairle and Eamon de Valera is elected Príomh-Aire.
April 18 – 1,000 delegates from all over Ireland attend the Sinn Féin Árd-Fheis in Dublin. Eamon de Valera is elected President of the organisation.
April 19 – Sinn Féin proposes an Executive Council of the Irish National Alliance to challenge the right of any foreign parliament to make laws for Ireland.
May 13 – IRA volunteers, Dan Breen and Seán Treacy are injured while rescuing Seán Hogan from custody in County Limerick.
June 14 – Captain Alcock and Lieutenant Brown arrive in Clifden, County Galway following their 1,900 mile transatlantiic flight.
September 12 – Dáil Éireann is declared illegal. There are surprise raids on Sinn Féin centres and Ernest Blythe is arrested.
November 9 – Labour leader James Larkin is arrested in New York. He is charged with circulating a publication advocating the forcible overthrow of the government.