Events from the year 1918 in Ireland. Events 18 January – Count Plunkett, Seán T. O'Kelly and others protest at the forcible feeding of Sinn Féin prisoners in Mountjoy Prison. 5 February – is torpedoed off the Irish coast; it is the first ship carrying United States troops to Europe to be torpedoed and sunk. 1 March – Imperial German Navy U-boat SM U-19 sinks off Rathlin Island. 2 March – In Skibbereen, County Cork, Ernest Blythe is arrested for non-compliance with a military rule directing him to reside in Ulster. 6 March – in the British House of Commons, tributes are paid to John Redmond, Irish Nationalist leader, who has died in London. 18 April – the Military Service Bill, which includes conscription in Ireland, becomes law. A conference of nationalist parties, Sinn Féin and labour movements meets in Dublin to organise an all-Ireland opposition to conscription. 20 April – the Irish Parliamentary Party holds a meeting in Dublin to oppose conscription. 23 April – General Strike in opposition to conscription. May – RAF Aldergrove opens. 5 May – 15,000 people attend an anti-conscription meeting in County Roscommon. John Dillon, leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party and Éamon de Valera of Sinn Féin share the platform in a united cause. 9 May – Field Marshal Sir John French, Viscount French of Ypres and of High Lake in the County of Roscommon, is appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Supreme Commander of the British Army in Ireland. 20 May – a special anti-conscription convention is held in Dublin. It condemns the arrest and deportation of Sinn Féin members consequent to the "German Plot". 20 June – Arthur Griffith of Sinn Féin wins a by-election in East Cavan. It is Sinn Féin's first victory of the year after three successive by-election defeats. 3 July – the Lord Lieutenant issues a proclamation banning Sinn Féin, the Irish Volunteers, the Gaelic League and Cumann na mBan. 17 July – is torpedoed and sunk off the east coast of Ireland by Imperial German Navy U-boat ; 218 of the 223 on board are rescued. 10 October – the Irish mail boat is sunk in the Irish Sea by Imperial German Navy U-boat with the loss of over 500 lives. 11 November – at 5.00am an armistice dictated by the Allies is signed by the Germans. Six hours later World War I officially ends. Well