On This Day / November 10, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201110
Reference Date
19201110
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 10th November 1920, The Irish News urged Northern nationalists and Protestants who opposed partition to unite and defend their rights as the Government of Ireland Bill neared completion. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
‘Ourselves Alone’ in the North | On This Day – 10th November 1920
HUNDREDS of homes were burned to the ground by infuriated mobs during the recent organised riots that followed the inauguration of a carefully-prepared and officially-sanctioned anti-Catholic ‘pogrom’ in Belfast.
All these houses were not occupied by spirit-grocers; many of them – perhaps the majority – were the shops and in most cases the homes of grocers who sold no spirits, tobacconists, newsagents and tradesmen. Many hundreds of homes were desolated…
Over 8,500 expelled workers – men, women and younger people – are at this hour – nearly four months after the institution of the pogrom – on the roll of those who are receiving relief out of the National Fund to save these victims of organised political fanaticism and cruelty from starvation. More than 80 people have been killed as a direct result of the Pogrom riots.
A handful of Tories at Westminster will resume today the manipulation of a Bill under which the cities of Belfast and Derry and the counties of Antrim, Down, Armagh, Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone will be severed as with a legislative axe from Ireland and handed over to the control of a bogus Parliament of the Ascendancy…
We now appeal to the vast body of Nationalists in all the six counties – including the Protestant citizens who abhor partition – they number at least 500,000 – to organise and consult as to the best and most effective means of taking united action in defence of their own vital interests and of their Irish citizenship before it is too late.
The men of North East Ulster must fight their own battle. If they do not show their determination to resist this fatal imposition, they need not look for help from any quarter. ‘Southern Ireland’ has a desperate struggle and ghastly problems of her own on hands. Her people will help us only if we help ourselves. …
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: In this appeal for united action by the 500,000 anti-partitionists in the North, this paper highlighted the impact of the recent sectarian violence on the minority and its deep internal divisions at this critical juncture.
Apart from the 8,500 Catholic workers expelled from their work that summer and the burning of Catholic-owned pubs and businesses, Northern nationalists remained irreparably split between the supporters of Home Rule (strong in Belfast) and Sinn Féin elsewhere.
The editor, Tim McCarthy, was reflecting Joe Devlin’s view of the 1920 Act: ‘This means the worst form of partition and, of course permanent partition.’
Once Craig (who publicly condoned the expulsions) had established his Parliament with its own police and judiciary, ‘anything like future union will be impossible.’ Support from the South would be tardy and trite.)
On This Day – 10th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201110
Reference Date
19201110
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 10th November 1920, The Irish News urged Northern nationalists and Protestants who opposed partition to unite and defend their rights as the Government of Ireland Bill neared completion. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
‘Ourselves Alone’ in the North | On This Day – 10th November 1920
HUNDREDS of homes were burned to the ground by infuriated mobs during the recent organised riots that followed the inauguration of a carefully-prepared and officially-sanctioned anti-Catholic ‘pogrom’ in Belfast.
All these houses were not occupied by spirit-grocers; many of them – perhaps the majority – were the shops and in most cases the homes of grocers who sold no spirits, tobacconists, newsagents and tradesmen. Many hundreds of homes were desolated…
Over 8,500 expelled workers – men, women and younger people – are at this hour – nearly four months after the institution of the pogrom – on the roll of those who are receiving relief out of the National Fund to save these victims of organised political fanaticism and cruelty from starvation. More than 80 people have been killed as a direct result of the Pogrom riots.
A handful of Tories at Westminster will resume today the manipulation of a Bill under which the cities of Belfast and Derry and the counties of Antrim, Down, Armagh, Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone will be severed as with a legislative axe from Ireland and handed over to the control of a bogus Parliament of the Ascendancy…
We now appeal to the vast body of Nationalists in all the six counties – including the Protestant citizens who abhor partition – they number at least 500,000 – to organise and consult as to the best and most effective means of taking united action in defence of their own vital interests and of their Irish citizenship before it is too late.
The men of North East Ulster must fight their own battle. If they do not show their determination to resist this fatal imposition, they need not look for help from any quarter. ‘Southern Ireland’ has a desperate struggle and ghastly problems of her own on hands. Her people will help us only if we help ourselves. …
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: In this appeal for united action by the 500,000 anti-partitionists in the North, this paper highlighted the impact of the recent sectarian violence on the minority and its deep internal divisions at this critical juncture.
Apart from the 8,500 Catholic workers expelled from their work that summer and the burning of Catholic-owned pubs and businesses, Northern nationalists remained irreparably split between the supporters of Home Rule (strong in Belfast) and Sinn Féin elsewhere.
The editor, Tim McCarthy, was reflecting Joe Devlin’s view of the 1920 Act: ‘This means the worst form of partition and, of course permanent partition.’
Once Craig (who publicly condoned the expulsions) had established his Parliament with its own police and judiciary, ‘anything like future union will be impossible.’ Support from the South would be tardy and trite.)
On This Day – 10th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201110
Reference Date
November 10, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 10th November 1920, The Irish News urged Northern nationalists and Protestants who opposed partition to unite and defend their rights as the Government of Ireland Bill neared completion. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
‘Ourselves Alone’ in the North | On This Day – 10th November 1920
HUNDREDS of homes were burned to the ground by infuriated mobs during the recent organised riots that followed the inauguration of a carefully-prepared and officially-sanctioned anti-Catholic ‘pogrom’ in Belfast.
All these houses were not occupied by spirit-grocers; many of them – perhaps the majority – were the shops and in most cases the homes of grocers who sold no spirits, tobacconists, newsagents and tradesmen. Many hundreds of homes were desolated…
Over 8,500 expelled workers – men, women and younger people – are at this hour – nearly four months after the institution of the pogrom – on the roll of those who are receiving relief out of the National Fund to save these victims of organised political fanaticism and cruelty from starvation. More than 80 people have been killed as a direct result of the Pogrom riots.
A handful of Tories at Westminster will resume today the manipulation of a Bill under which the cities of Belfast and Derry and the counties of Antrim, Down, Armagh, Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone will be severed as with a legislative axe from Ireland and handed over to the control of a bogus Parliament of the Ascendancy…
We now appeal to the vast body of Nationalists in all the six counties – including the Protestant citizens who abhor partition – they number at least 500,000 – to organise and consult as to the best and most effective means of taking united action in defence of their own vital interests and of their Irish citizenship before it is too late.
The men of North East Ulster must fight their own battle. If they do not show their determination to resist this fatal imposition, they need not look for help from any quarter. ‘Southern Ireland’ has a desperate struggle and ghastly problems of her own on hands. Her people will help us only if we help ourselves. …
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: In this appeal for united action by the 500,000 anti-partitionists in the North, this paper highlighted the impact of the recent sectarian violence on the minority and its deep internal divisions at this critical juncture.
Apart from the 8,500 Catholic workers expelled from their work that summer and the burning of Catholic-owned pubs and businesses, Northern nationalists remained irreparably split between the supporters of Home Rule (strong in Belfast) and Sinn Féin elsewhere.
The editor, Tim McCarthy, was reflecting Joe Devlin’s view of the 1920 Act: ‘This means the worst form of partition and, of course permanent partition.’
Once Craig (who publicly condoned the expulsions) had established his Parliament with its own police and judiciary, ‘anything like future union will be impossible.’ Support from the South would be tardy and trite.)
On This Day – 10th November 1920
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.