On This Day / September 21, 1921

Summary: On This Day – 21st September 1921, Unionists in the new Northern Parliament attacked alleged IRA activity during the Truce, while a Derry deputation told Éamon de Valera of its opposition to partition. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.

Unionist on ‘IRA Terror’ | On This Day – 21st September 1921

IN THE Northern Parliament Mr Samuel McGuffin [Unionist] asked the PM what authority was responsible for the preservation of the peace of Belfast, recalling the recent riots, and as to what was the prospect of the Northern Parliament being responsible for the preservation of peace, Sir J Craig replied that the preservation of the peace within the area of NI at present rested entirely on the Imperial authorities.

Mr William Coote [Unionist] asked whether, having regard to the fact that Mr de Valera was born in the United States, was of alien parentage and not a naturalised British subject, his election would now be declared void.

The Speaker [Sir Hugh O’Neill] said and no steps had been taken in regard to Mr de Valera.

Sir James Craig said his Cabinet had been energetic in pressing the British government to put the full powers into their hands. The first and most important was control of the police.

Sir Robert Lynn [Unionist] said that from the beginning of the Truce, the Sinn Feiners had been utilising the opportunity for the purpose of increasing their army and the efficiency of their murder gang,… Gunmen had been imported in July and August and large quantities of arms and there were large Sinn Fein camps in the six counties…

Only the Government of Dublin Castle would tolerate that. Mr O’Duffy had boasted that he had put his gunmen on the streets and they had been very effective.

He believed they shot people down [regardless of religion]. Their idea was to create terrorism and to get the blame put on the so-called Orange mob. The Orangemen had nothing to do with the trouble….’

Derry Against Partition

A DEPUTATION representing the city of Derry waited upon President de Valera and members of the Dáil Eireann Cabinet yesterday afternoon.

The deputation included of Aiderman Cahal Bradley; Robert MacAnaney, TC and Councillor P Hegarty, President, Sinn Fein.

Aiderman Bradley stated: ‘Derry is the second city in Ulster and is by position, population, trade and industry the capital of northern Ireland.

It has the closest relations, business and other intercourse with the large county of Donegal from which the British Government propose to separate it…

The City of Derry has no desire to be separated in any sense from the… Irish nation…’

(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: THIS early debate in the new northern parliament underlined the insecurities of the fledgling government which found itself lacking key security powers.

Unionists were angry at the fact that the truce legitimised the IRA and sought to portray the Belfast violence as a campaign of terror by “imported IRA gunmen”.)

On This Day – 21st September 1921

Further Reading on Irish History:

List of other On This Day columns

Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive

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