On This Day / March 19, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210319
Reference Date
19210319
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 19th March 1921, a dramatic shooting in Newtownards left an RIC Head Constable seriously wounded during a raid on a suspected armed robber’s house. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Head Constable Shot in Ards | On This Day – 19th March 1921
A SENSATIONAL shooting affair occurred in Newtownards [County Down] yesterday morning and as a result Head Constable John Boyd lies in a precarious position in the local hospital.
The Head Constable, with Constables Jackson and Girvan, went to the house of William J Gordon, West Street to make inquiries about a burglary which had occurred during the night.
The Head Constable and Constable Jackson were armed. On going upstairs they found James Gordon in bed.
On being questioned he denied having a revolver and Head Constable Boyd searched the room and found forty-one rounds of Webley revolver ammunition.
Constable Jackson was sent downstairs to continue the search for the revolver, leaving Head Constable Boyd and Gordon in the bedroom.
Suddenly a shot rang out and the Head Constable reeled down the stairs and staggered outside.
Constables Jackson and Girvan were ascending the stairs when two more revolver shots were fired and how they escaped being shot is a mystery.
The constables held the fort until assistance arrived and Gordon was told the house would be burned down if he would not surrender.
However, his reply was: ‘Burn away’.
Reinforcements of police having arrived, together with a contingent of Special Constables armed with revolvers and carbines, the house was surrounded.
Several revolver shots were then fired through the back window from Gordon’s room while a bomb was thrown but failed to make its mark.
Finally, a stepladder was secured and an officer planted another bomb right in the centre of the room.
This had the desired effect and Gordon came downstairs holding his hands above his head in a token of surrender and was at once arrested.
Later in the day a Special Court was held in the barracks when Gordon was charged with attempting to murder Head Constable John Boyd.
A large quantity of articles identified as having been stolen were found in Gordon’s house.
An operation was performed on Head Constable Boyd and the medical gentlemen consider it is a successful one.
The Head Constable, who has been most popular in Newtownards since sent there in 1918 on promotion, is a Catholic and unmarried from Crosscong, County Mayo.
In hospital he said: ‘It is well it happened to me. God forgive him, poor fellow.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite the spiralling political and sectarian violence in 1921, the only shooting attack on a policeman in North Down was perpetrated by a suspected armed robber whose house was being raided.
In Newtownards and other northern towns the RIC usually ensured that the district inspector was a Protestant while the Head Constable a Catholic.)
On This Day – 19th March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210319
Reference Date
19210319
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 19th March 1921, a dramatic shooting in Newtownards left an RIC Head Constable seriously wounded during a raid on a suspected armed robber’s house. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Head Constable Shot in Ards | On This Day – 19th March 1921
A SENSATIONAL shooting affair occurred in Newtownards [County Down] yesterday morning and as a result Head Constable John Boyd lies in a precarious position in the local hospital.
The Head Constable, with Constables Jackson and Girvan, went to the house of William J Gordon, West Street to make inquiries about a burglary which had occurred during the night.
The Head Constable and Constable Jackson were armed. On going upstairs they found James Gordon in bed.
On being questioned he denied having a revolver and Head Constable Boyd searched the room and found forty-one rounds of Webley revolver ammunition.
Constable Jackson was sent downstairs to continue the search for the revolver, leaving Head Constable Boyd and Gordon in the bedroom.
Suddenly a shot rang out and the Head Constable reeled down the stairs and staggered outside.
Constables Jackson and Girvan were ascending the stairs when two more revolver shots were fired and how they escaped being shot is a mystery.
The constables held the fort until assistance arrived and Gordon was told the house would be burned down if he would not surrender.
However, his reply was: ‘Burn away’.
Reinforcements of police having arrived, together with a contingent of Special Constables armed with revolvers and carbines, the house was surrounded.
Several revolver shots were then fired through the back window from Gordon’s room while a bomb was thrown but failed to make its mark.
Finally, a stepladder was secured and an officer planted another bomb right in the centre of the room.
This had the desired effect and Gordon came downstairs holding his hands above his head in a token of surrender and was at once arrested.
Later in the day a Special Court was held in the barracks when Gordon was charged with attempting to murder Head Constable John Boyd.
A large quantity of articles identified as having been stolen were found in Gordon’s house.
An operation was performed on Head Constable Boyd and the medical gentlemen consider it is a successful one.
The Head Constable, who has been most popular in Newtownards since sent there in 1918 on promotion, is a Catholic and unmarried from Crosscong, County Mayo.
In hospital he said: ‘It is well it happened to me. God forgive him, poor fellow.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite the spiralling political and sectarian violence in 1921, the only shooting attack on a policeman in North Down was perpetrated by a suspected armed robber whose house was being raided.
In Newtownards and other northern towns the RIC usually ensured that the district inspector was a Protestant while the Head Constable a Catholic.)
On This Day – 19th March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210319
Reference Date
March 19, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 19th March 1921, a dramatic shooting in Newtownards left an RIC Head Constable seriously wounded during a raid on a suspected armed robber’s house. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Head Constable Shot in Ards | On This Day – 19th March 1921
A SENSATIONAL shooting affair occurred in Newtownards [County Down] yesterday morning and as a result Head Constable John Boyd lies in a precarious position in the local hospital.
The Head Constable, with Constables Jackson and Girvan, went to the house of William J Gordon, West Street to make inquiries about a burglary which had occurred during the night.
The Head Constable and Constable Jackson were armed. On going upstairs they found James Gordon in bed.
On being questioned he denied having a revolver and Head Constable Boyd searched the room and found forty-one rounds of Webley revolver ammunition.
Constable Jackson was sent downstairs to continue the search for the revolver, leaving Head Constable Boyd and Gordon in the bedroom.
Suddenly a shot rang out and the Head Constable reeled down the stairs and staggered outside.
Constables Jackson and Girvan were ascending the stairs when two more revolver shots were fired and how they escaped being shot is a mystery.
The constables held the fort until assistance arrived and Gordon was told the house would be burned down if he would not surrender.
However, his reply was: ‘Burn away’.
Reinforcements of police having arrived, together with a contingent of Special Constables armed with revolvers and carbines, the house was surrounded.
Several revolver shots were then fired through the back window from Gordon’s room while a bomb was thrown but failed to make its mark.
Finally, a stepladder was secured and an officer planted another bomb right in the centre of the room.
This had the desired effect and Gordon came downstairs holding his hands above his head in a token of surrender and was at once arrested.
Later in the day a Special Court was held in the barracks when Gordon was charged with attempting to murder Head Constable John Boyd.
A large quantity of articles identified as having been stolen were found in Gordon’s house.
An operation was performed on Head Constable Boyd and the medical gentlemen consider it is a successful one.
The Head Constable, who has been most popular in Newtownards since sent there in 1918 on promotion, is a Catholic and unmarried from Crosscong, County Mayo.
In hospital he said: ‘It is well it happened to me. God forgive him, poor fellow.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite the spiralling political and sectarian violence in 1921, the only shooting attack on a policeman in North Down was perpetrated by a suspected armed robber whose house was being raided.
In Newtownards and other northern towns the RIC usually ensured that the district inspector was a Protestant while the Head Constable a Catholic.)
On This Day – 19th March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.