November 17

• 2001 The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) dropped Rule 21, which barred members of the British security forces from participation in their games.
• 1994 Taoiseach Albert Reynolds was forced to resign over the Brendan Smyth extradition case and the appointment of Harry Whelehan to the presidency of the High Court.
• 1974 Erskine Hamilton Childers (68), president of the Republic of Ireland since 25 June 1973, died suddenly.
• 1970 The bank strike in the Republic of Ireland, which began on 30 April, ended.
• 1922 Four ‘Irregulars’, James Fisher, Peter Cassidy, John F. Gaffney and Richard Twohig, were executed at Kilmainham gaol, Dublin, the first of 77 Republicans executed by the Free State authorities during the Civil War (1922–3).
• 1917 Auguste Rodin (77), French sculptor, notably of ‘The Kiss’ (1889) and ‘Le Penseur/The Thinker’ (1902), died.