On This Day / July 8, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
July 8, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 8th July 1921, the Southern Parliament met in Dublin, Clogher reprisals followed the Daisy Hill burning and Loughguile won the postponed Antrim hurling championship in Ballycastle. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
A Farce Staged | On This Day – 8th July 1921
A CURIOUS function was held in Dublin on Tuesday afternoon. The scene was the Council Chamber of the Department of Agriculture in Merrion Street and the occasion was the first statutory meeting of the ‘Parliament of Southern Ireland’.
Before three o’clock a group of about a hundred people gathered in Merrion Street and watched the entrance of officials and others.
The first man to walk to the assembly was the veteran peer, Lord Cloncurry.
The next arrival was the Most Rev Dr Gregg [Protestant] Archbishop of Dublin.
In the next motor was seated the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls.
A little stir among the cameramen announced the arrival of General Sir Bryan Mahon.
He was followed by the Rev Dr Glenn, ex-Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly.
At 3.15 the emergence of the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls excited quite a little comment.
The Senators and four members of the House of Commons and Lord Chief Justice Moloney rose and said ‘Members of the House of Commons – I am also charged to remind you that by law the continuance of this Parliament is not assured unless the oath is taken by one half at least of the total number of members of your House within fourteen days from today….’
On the proposition of the Marquis of Sligo, seconded by Most Rev Dr Gregg, Sir Nugent T Everard was elected Deputy Speaker owing to the absence through illness of the Lord Chancellor.
The Senate adjourned until twelve o’clock on 13th July.
Clogher Reprisals
EXCITEMENT has been running high in the Clogher district of Tyrone following the burning of Major Stewart’s house at Daisy Hill.
On Thursday morning the houses of two Catholics named Owen McKenna, Ballywhollen, and Frank Meenan, Ballymacan, were burnt to the ground.
The houses of two Protestants named Alex Todd and Robert Irwin near Augher were fired into, an attempt being made to burn them being frustrated.
Antrim Hurling Championship Postponed
THE much discussed and eagerly- awaited County Antrim Hurling Championship (Donnelly Cup) final (postponed from 1919-20) between Loughguile (North Antrim champions) and O’Connells (South Antrim champions) was played at Ballycastle.
The North Antrim team achieved an easy and decisive victory by 8-3 (27 points) to 1-1 (4 points). Mr Frank McCarry was referee.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: THERE was never any realistic prospect that the Southern Parliament, decreed under the 1920 Act, would function as intended.
Sinn Fein rejected this ‘Partition Parliament’.
This put a question mark over the future of the Council of Ireland which had been included as a bridge between north and south.)
On This Day – 8th July 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.