Eamon de Valera Badge
On the 7th June 1917, Willie Redmond, MP for East Clare was killed in action while leading the Royal Irish Brigade to victory at the Battle of Ypres in Belgium during the First World War. He had represented East Clare for 25 years as an MP and the subsequent by-election was hotly contested between Eamon de Valera, the Sinn Fein candidate and Patrick Lynch of the Irish Party.
Polling took place on Tuesday 10th July 1917, and de Valera was elected by a huge majority of 2975 votes. Afterwards he appeared on the steps of the Courthouse in Ennis wearing his Volunteers uniform, accompanied by Countess Markievicz, Count Plunkett MP, and Sinn Fein leader Arthur Griffith. For de Valera, it was the start of a long political career representing County Clare which continued until 1959, when he went on to serve two consecutive terms as President of Ireland.
This badge was probably used in a subsequent election campaign in Clare.
Ref: 2000.108
