On This Day / March 20, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19710320
Reference Date
19710320
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 20th March 1971 pressure mounted on Stormont Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark while economic cooperation ideas were floated and Belfast mourned the death of renowned piper Francis McPeake. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Hardliners to Topple Clark | On This Day – 20th March 1971
THE further measures to deal with the NI Troubles, announced by the Prime Minister at Stormont yesterday following his hush-hush visit to London, were clearly unacceptable to the right wing MPs who are now confident that they have the necessary support in the country to bring down the Government on the ‘law and order’ issue.
The only concession Mr Chichester- Clark could make to their demands was that the Army strength in the North will be increased by about 1,400 extra troops.
His opponents had been pressing for tougher action, including internment and the establishment of a local militia under Stormont control.
It is certain that the campaign to force the PM to resign will be continued with increased intensity and it expected that the final showdown will take place at the Unionist Council meeting on March 29.
Mr Chichester-Clark is not expected to survive as Premier after that – and, in fact, some observers feel that he may throw in the towel.
Support for Lynch’s ‘Border Industries’ Idea
SIR Frederick Catherwood, Director General of the National Economic Development Office, last night backed suggestions by the Taoiseach, Mr Lynch that the Irish and Stormont Governments engage in economic cooperation to attract industry to border areas of high unemployment.
Sir Fred added: ‘This is an ingenious idea, worth considering.’
Death of Piper Severs 1916 Link
THE late Mr Francis Joseph McPeake, one of Ireland’s best-known folk musicians and story-tellers, has died.
Mr McPeake, renowned for his Uileann pipes playing, died in Belfast on St Patrick’s Day aged 86.
As a young man he learned to play the Uileann pipes in his determination to see that Irish traditional music in Belfast should not die.
His enthusiasm led him through the Gaelic League to a man who was to be his benefactor, Francis Joseph Bigger.
With his aid, the late Mr McPeake took up tuition from the then Uileann pipes maestro, John O’Reilly of Galway who was totally blind.
When, sixty years ago, Francis won his first major award at the Oireachtas in Dublin, Eamonn Ceannt, [the executed 1916 leader] adjudicated.
In his association with Bigger and his house, Ard Righ he met Roger Casement, Alice Stopford Green [the historian] and Lord Ashbourne [a leading aristocratic Gaelic Leaguer].
His international tours included Russia, America and France.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Jack Lynch’s novel idea to attract industry to border areas was never taken up and, within a week, Chichester-Clark had been replaced as Premier by the ambitious Brian Faulkner.
Meanwhile the passing of Francis McPeake, senior, severed a link with the Gaelic Revival, pioneered in Belfast by the Protestant Nationalist lawyer, FJ Bigger.)
On This Day – 20th March 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710320
Reference Date
19710320
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 20th March 1971 pressure mounted on Stormont Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark while economic cooperation ideas were floated and Belfast mourned the death of renowned piper Francis McPeake. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Hardliners to Topple Clark | On This Day – 20th March 1971
THE further measures to deal with the NI Troubles, announced by the Prime Minister at Stormont yesterday following his hush-hush visit to London, were clearly unacceptable to the right wing MPs who are now confident that they have the necessary support in the country to bring down the Government on the ‘law and order’ issue.
The only concession Mr Chichester- Clark could make to their demands was that the Army strength in the North will be increased by about 1,400 extra troops.
His opponents had been pressing for tougher action, including internment and the establishment of a local militia under Stormont control.
It is certain that the campaign to force the PM to resign will be continued with increased intensity and it expected that the final showdown will take place at the Unionist Council meeting on March 29.
Mr Chichester-Clark is not expected to survive as Premier after that – and, in fact, some observers feel that he may throw in the towel.
Support for Lynch’s ‘Border Industries’ Idea
SIR Frederick Catherwood, Director General of the National Economic Development Office, last night backed suggestions by the Taoiseach, Mr Lynch that the Irish and Stormont Governments engage in economic cooperation to attract industry to border areas of high unemployment.
Sir Fred added: ‘This is an ingenious idea, worth considering.’
Death of Piper Severs 1916 Link
THE late Mr Francis Joseph McPeake, one of Ireland’s best-known folk musicians and story-tellers, has died.
Mr McPeake, renowned for his Uileann pipes playing, died in Belfast on St Patrick’s Day aged 86.
As a young man he learned to play the Uileann pipes in his determination to see that Irish traditional music in Belfast should not die.
His enthusiasm led him through the Gaelic League to a man who was to be his benefactor, Francis Joseph Bigger.
With his aid, the late Mr McPeake took up tuition from the then Uileann pipes maestro, John O’Reilly of Galway who was totally blind.
When, sixty years ago, Francis won his first major award at the Oireachtas in Dublin, Eamonn Ceannt, [the executed 1916 leader] adjudicated.
In his association with Bigger and his house, Ard Righ he met Roger Casement, Alice Stopford Green [the historian] and Lord Ashbourne [a leading aristocratic Gaelic Leaguer].
His international tours included Russia, America and France.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Jack Lynch’s novel idea to attract industry to border areas was never taken up and, within a week, Chichester-Clark had been replaced as Premier by the ambitious Brian Faulkner.
Meanwhile the passing of Francis McPeake, senior, severed a link with the Gaelic Revival, pioneered in Belfast by the Protestant Nationalist lawyer, FJ Bigger.)
On This Day – 20th March 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710320
Reference Date
March 20, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 20th March 1971 pressure mounted on Stormont Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark while economic cooperation ideas were floated and Belfast mourned the death of renowned piper Francis McPeake. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Hardliners to Topple Clark | On This Day – 20th March 1971
THE further measures to deal with the NI Troubles, announced by the Prime Minister at Stormont yesterday following his hush-hush visit to London, were clearly unacceptable to the right wing MPs who are now confident that they have the necessary support in the country to bring down the Government on the ‘law and order’ issue.
The only concession Mr Chichester- Clark could make to their demands was that the Army strength in the North will be increased by about 1,400 extra troops.
His opponents had been pressing for tougher action, including internment and the establishment of a local militia under Stormont control.
It is certain that the campaign to force the PM to resign will be continued with increased intensity and it expected that the final showdown will take place at the Unionist Council meeting on March 29.
Mr Chichester-Clark is not expected to survive as Premier after that – and, in fact, some observers feel that he may throw in the towel.
Support for Lynch’s ‘Border Industries’ Idea
SIR Frederick Catherwood, Director General of the National Economic Development Office, last night backed suggestions by the Taoiseach, Mr Lynch that the Irish and Stormont Governments engage in economic cooperation to attract industry to border areas of high unemployment.
Sir Fred added: ‘This is an ingenious idea, worth considering.’
Death of Piper Severs 1916 Link
THE late Mr Francis Joseph McPeake, one of Ireland’s best-known folk musicians and story-tellers, has died.
Mr McPeake, renowned for his Uileann pipes playing, died in Belfast on St Patrick’s Day aged 86.
As a young man he learned to play the Uileann pipes in his determination to see that Irish traditional music in Belfast should not die.
His enthusiasm led him through the Gaelic League to a man who was to be his benefactor, Francis Joseph Bigger.
With his aid, the late Mr McPeake took up tuition from the then Uileann pipes maestro, John O’Reilly of Galway who was totally blind.
When, sixty years ago, Francis won his first major award at the Oireachtas in Dublin, Eamonn Ceannt, [the executed 1916 leader] adjudicated.
In his association with Bigger and his house, Ard Righ he met Roger Casement, Alice Stopford Green [the historian] and Lord Ashbourne [a leading aristocratic Gaelic Leaguer].
His international tours included Russia, America and France.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Jack Lynch’s novel idea to attract industry to border areas was never taken up and, within a week, Chichester-Clark had been replaced as Premier by the ambitious Brian Faulkner.
Meanwhile the passing of Francis McPeake, senior, severed a link with the Gaelic Revival, pioneered in Belfast by the Protestant Nationalist lawyer, FJ Bigger.)
On This Day – 20th March 1971
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.