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Mon 07 Jul 2007An Irishman's DiaryNinety years ago tomorrow, on July 10th, 1917, polling took place in the East-Clare by-election which marked the political debut of Éamon de Valera and hastened the demise of the Irish Parliamentary Party, writes Brendan Ó CathaoirThe vacancy was caused by the death of Willie Redmond, who had represented East Clare at Westminster for 25 years. John Redmond, chairman of the Irish Party, impressed Sophie Raffalovich O'Brien "as abler, more intellectual than his brother, but infinitely less lovable".