On This Day / March 26, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210326
Reference Date
19210326
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 26th March 1921, Lloyd George defended executions and government policy in Ireland as Asquith warned it was fuelling unrest and alienating public opinion. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Prime Minister Defends Executions | On This Day – 26th March 1921
IN THE House of Commons yesterday, Mr Asquith [former Liberal Prime Minister] said the situation in Ireland had been seriously aggravated by the policy of the Government during the past six months.
In the past three or four days there had been outrages resulting in the loss of fifty lives.
The means and methods adopted by the Executive had had the effect of alienating popular sympathy from the side of law and order and diverting it to those engaged in violating it.
Six men have been hanged recently in Dublin. Four of them were only engaged in an ambush in which there was no loss of life….
What shocked the intelligence and conscience of people was that they did not see any evidence of corresponding steps being taken against those who had committed the supreme outrage, that, having been entrusted with its protection, they had rivalled the criminals in crime.
Mr Lloyd George said: ‘[Mr Asquith] quoted three cases as illustrating the wickedness of the policy of the Government.
“One was the case of the six men who were hanged in Dublin. I took a good deal of trouble over the case. [Mr Joseph Devlin] made a special appeal to me…
‘It is a horrible thing to have to put an end to six young lives in cold blood, but, not only do I say that no Government could have interfered but [Mr Asquith] would have come to the same conclusion.
‘Two of the men were engaged in murder. [The others] were engaged in an ambush to kill policemen. They were armed with bombs which they threw…
‘Is there any possibility of bringing an end to this distressing condition. You will not bring an end to it by surrender to crime (hear, hear)….
‘If there is going to be a truce, it must be on the basis of the surrender of arms.
‘The people of this land will be glad to see an end of this killing and counter-killing in Ireland …
‘We could not agree to a separate independent Irish Republic. … We propose to put into operation the Act of Parliament [1920] and for holding elections in May in the South and the North.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Faced with a corruscating attack on Government policy by Asquith, Lloyd George brazenly defended the executions and reprisals which had alienated almost the entire Irish population.
Any Truce must be based on the surrender of IRA arms and the rejection of a Republic.
For The Irish News the most alarming part of the PM’s speech was his declared determination to proceed with partition in May 1921.)
On This Day – 26th March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210326
Reference Date
19210326
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 26th March 1921, Lloyd George defended executions and government policy in Ireland as Asquith warned it was fuelling unrest and alienating public opinion. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Prime Minister Defends Executions | On This Day – 26th March 1921
IN THE House of Commons yesterday, Mr Asquith [former Liberal Prime Minister] said the situation in Ireland had been seriously aggravated by the policy of the Government during the past six months.
In the past three or four days there had been outrages resulting in the loss of fifty lives.
The means and methods adopted by the Executive had had the effect of alienating popular sympathy from the side of law and order and diverting it to those engaged in violating it.
Six men have been hanged recently in Dublin. Four of them were only engaged in an ambush in which there was no loss of life….
What shocked the intelligence and conscience of people was that they did not see any evidence of corresponding steps being taken against those who had committed the supreme outrage, that, having been entrusted with its protection, they had rivalled the criminals in crime.
Mr Lloyd George said: ‘[Mr Asquith] quoted three cases as illustrating the wickedness of the policy of the Government.
“One was the case of the six men who were hanged in Dublin. I took a good deal of trouble over the case. [Mr Joseph Devlin] made a special appeal to me…
‘It is a horrible thing to have to put an end to six young lives in cold blood, but, not only do I say that no Government could have interfered but [Mr Asquith] would have come to the same conclusion.
‘Two of the men were engaged in murder. [The others] were engaged in an ambush to kill policemen. They were armed with bombs which they threw…
‘Is there any possibility of bringing an end to this distressing condition. You will not bring an end to it by surrender to crime (hear, hear)….
‘If there is going to be a truce, it must be on the basis of the surrender of arms.
‘The people of this land will be glad to see an end of this killing and counter-killing in Ireland …
‘We could not agree to a separate independent Irish Republic. … We propose to put into operation the Act of Parliament [1920] and for holding elections in May in the South and the North.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Faced with a corruscating attack on Government policy by Asquith, Lloyd George brazenly defended the executions and reprisals which had alienated almost the entire Irish population.
Any Truce must be based on the surrender of IRA arms and the rejection of a Republic.
For The Irish News the most alarming part of the PM’s speech was his declared determination to proceed with partition in May 1921.)
On This Day – 26th March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210326
Reference Date
March 26, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 26th March 1921, Lloyd George defended executions and government policy in Ireland as Asquith warned it was fuelling unrest and alienating public opinion. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Prime Minister Defends Executions | On This Day – 26th March 1921
IN THE House of Commons yesterday, Mr Asquith [former Liberal Prime Minister] said the situation in Ireland had been seriously aggravated by the policy of the Government during the past six months.
In the past three or four days there had been outrages resulting in the loss of fifty lives.
The means and methods adopted by the Executive had had the effect of alienating popular sympathy from the side of law and order and diverting it to those engaged in violating it.
Six men have been hanged recently in Dublin. Four of them were only engaged in an ambush in which there was no loss of life….
What shocked the intelligence and conscience of people was that they did not see any evidence of corresponding steps being taken against those who had committed the supreme outrage, that, having been entrusted with its protection, they had rivalled the criminals in crime.
Mr Lloyd George said: ‘[Mr Asquith] quoted three cases as illustrating the wickedness of the policy of the Government.
“One was the case of the six men who were hanged in Dublin. I took a good deal of trouble over the case. [Mr Joseph Devlin] made a special appeal to me…
‘It is a horrible thing to have to put an end to six young lives in cold blood, but, not only do I say that no Government could have interfered but [Mr Asquith] would have come to the same conclusion.
‘Two of the men were engaged in murder. [The others] were engaged in an ambush to kill policemen. They were armed with bombs which they threw…
‘Is there any possibility of bringing an end to this distressing condition. You will not bring an end to it by surrender to crime (hear, hear)….
‘If there is going to be a truce, it must be on the basis of the surrender of arms.
‘The people of this land will be glad to see an end of this killing and counter-killing in Ireland …
‘We could not agree to a separate independent Irish Republic. … We propose to put into operation the Act of Parliament [1920] and for holding elections in May in the South and the North.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Faced with a corruscating attack on Government policy by Asquith, Lloyd George brazenly defended the executions and reprisals which had alienated almost the entire Irish population.
Any Truce must be based on the surrender of IRA arms and the rejection of a Republic.
For The Irish News the most alarming part of the PM’s speech was his declared determination to proceed with partition in May 1921.)
On This Day – 26th 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.