On This Day / August 31, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
August 31, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 31st August 1921, North Belfast was gripped by what was described as virtual “civil war”, with six people killed and more than 30 wounded. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
City of ‘Civil War’ | On This Day – 31st August 1921
FIVE men and a little girl of five were killed in Belfast yesterday. Orange mobs, acting in close cooperation with well-armed and carefully- hidden snipers, kept whole districts in a state of terror until Curfew hour.
Crowds of foolish people gathered at street-corners and ran the risk of meeting with flying bullets.
Fierce fighting was resumed in the familiar battle-grounds of York Street, North Queen Street and New Lodge Road and deadly conflicts were waged by armed men over a wide area.
Police and military described the fighting as the worst ever experienced in Belfast.
Since Monday the district covering two square miles has been given over to the condition of affairs that can only be described as civil war.
The streets are swept at regular intervals by rifle and revolver bullets while business has been carried on under the most dangerous circumstances.
Six persons were shot dead and upwards of 30 wounded. The dead are: William Kennedy (36), Grove Street; Stephen Cash (77), Sussex Street; Annie Watson (aged five), North Queen Street; William Smith, Maria Street; Harry Bowers, Cambridge Street and Thomas Mullan (20), 64 North Queen Street.
In addition, an Orange mob attacked the Catholic homes. They poured petrol on the doors. Passengers in tramcars were in danger from the bullets which passed across the Antrim Road.
So daring did the snipers become that they often stepped into the roadway and fired in the direction of other snipers.
A tramcar was passing up the Antrim Road when a bullet lodged in a passenger’s knee.
An armoured car and police in Crossley tenders passed up and down the road but… the firing was kept up with unabated vigour.
Schools were closed. Around five o’clock much uneasiness was caused by the appearance of roughlooking men in the Orange quarters at the corners of the streets abutting on the Catholic districts…
Suddenly they converged on North Queen Street and began firing into this thoroughfare.
All points of vantage were occupied by the gunmen of each side, street corners, housetops and windows being used by the snipers who kept up a deadly barrage.
The worst centre of the fighting was that in New Lodge Road and adjoining streets.
(Éamon Phoenix Editor’s note: This graphic description of the virtual ‘civil war’ which gripped north Belfast was written by RP Hayes, The Irish News’ Chief Reporter.
Loyalists were angry at the all-lreland truce which had resulted in the Specials’ suspension and legitimised the IRA which defended the Catholic enclaves.
With the new state under a cloud, the ‘agony of Belfast’ – to quote the newsreels – would continue for another year.)
On This Day – 31st August 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.