On This Day / January 13, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19710113
Reference Date
19710113
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 13th January 1971, James Callaghan warned of a difficult future for Northern Ireland, as unrest continued with an MP jailed, IRA punishments defended and the O’Connell monument damaged by an explosion. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘North future difficult‘ | On This Day – 13th January 1971
FORMER Labour Home Secretary, Mr James Callaghan yesterday forecast ‘a difficult period ahead’ for NI and also remarked that he did not expect the Ulster Unionist Party to change its spots.
‘But he argued that the Unionists had got a ‘tremendous shock’ in the summer of 1969 and it was bound to have left its mark on them.
He felt that Mr James Chichester-Clark, the PM and his Cabinet were sincere about the desire to introduce reforms.
Interviewed on RTÉ, he said: ‘Economically I think there are very great difficulties. The problem west of the Bann is a continuing one and it needs very special efforts.’
Mr Callaghan said he was not a bit worried by the apparent growing political responsibility of the Rev Ian Paisley and thought that as he represented an important element there was a lot to be said for him being present at Westminster as there was for Miss Bernadette Devlin.
He thought that neither of the Opposition groups at the moment had the potential to become the alternative government and that was one of the tragedies in the north.
The SDLP seemed to be attracting only one group to its ranks. They must build an opposition which will concentrate on the real needs of the people. ‘That is housing and jobs,’ he declared. ‘It is regional government west of the Bann.’
Messrs Lynch, Heath and Wilson all said that the Partition issue cannot be solved now or by force … yet people go on voting on this. He thought they were voting on ‘a dead issue’.
Fermanagh MP jailed
Mr Frank McManus, 28-year old MP, was yesterday sentenced to a total of six months’ imprisonment at Enniskillen Court and was taken into custody by police. A six months’ sentence was imposed on each of three charges in connection with a Civil Rights protest march on November 28 last.
SF supports IRA punishments
IRA units who carried out the weekend tarring and feathering of four men did so as part of a campaign to stamp out ‘vile, corrupt and criminal activities’, Sinn Féin said in Belfast last night. One of those tarred and feathered had been a drugs pedlar.
O’Connell monument blasted
THE 168ft O’Connell monument in Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery was damaged by an explosion early yesterday. The monument, which is a round tower, forms part of the tomb of Daniel O’Connell. (Jim Callaghan must have wondered if the Labour government missed an opportunity in 1969 to abolish the Unionist Parliament and introduce Direct Rule from Westminster. Unstable one- party rule and violence and conflict continued to define the North.)
On This Day – 13th January 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710113
Reference Date
19710113
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 13th January 1971, James Callaghan warned of a difficult future for Northern Ireland, as unrest continued with an MP jailed, IRA punishments defended and the O’Connell monument damaged by an explosion. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘North future difficult‘ | On This Day – 13th January 1971
FORMER Labour Home Secretary, Mr James Callaghan yesterday forecast ‘a difficult period ahead’ for NI and also remarked that he did not expect the Ulster Unionist Party to change its spots.
‘But he argued that the Unionists had got a ‘tremendous shock’ in the summer of 1969 and it was bound to have left its mark on them.
He felt that Mr James Chichester-Clark, the PM and his Cabinet were sincere about the desire to introduce reforms.
Interviewed on RTÉ, he said: ‘Economically I think there are very great difficulties. The problem west of the Bann is a continuing one and it needs very special efforts.’
Mr Callaghan said he was not a bit worried by the apparent growing political responsibility of the Rev Ian Paisley and thought that as he represented an important element there was a lot to be said for him being present at Westminster as there was for Miss Bernadette Devlin.
He thought that neither of the Opposition groups at the moment had the potential to become the alternative government and that was one of the tragedies in the north.
The SDLP seemed to be attracting only one group to its ranks. They must build an opposition which will concentrate on the real needs of the people. ‘That is housing and jobs,’ he declared. ‘It is regional government west of the Bann.’
Messrs Lynch, Heath and Wilson all said that the Partition issue cannot be solved now or by force … yet people go on voting on this. He thought they were voting on ‘a dead issue’.
Fermanagh MP jailed
Mr Frank McManus, 28-year old MP, was yesterday sentenced to a total of six months’ imprisonment at Enniskillen Court and was taken into custody by police. A six months’ sentence was imposed on each of three charges in connection with a Civil Rights protest march on November 28 last.
SF supports IRA punishments
IRA units who carried out the weekend tarring and feathering of four men did so as part of a campaign to stamp out ‘vile, corrupt and criminal activities’, Sinn Féin said in Belfast last night. One of those tarred and feathered had been a drugs pedlar.
O’Connell monument blasted
THE 168ft O’Connell monument in Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery was damaged by an explosion early yesterday. The monument, which is a round tower, forms part of the tomb of Daniel O’Connell. (Jim Callaghan must have wondered if the Labour government missed an opportunity in 1969 to abolish the Unionist Parliament and introduce Direct Rule from Westminster. Unstable one- party rule and violence and conflict continued to define the North.)
On This Day – 13th January 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710113
Reference Date
January 13, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 13th January 1971, James Callaghan warned of a difficult future for Northern Ireland, as unrest continued with an MP jailed, IRA punishments defended and the O’Connell monument damaged by an explosion. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘North future difficult‘ | On This Day – 13th January 1971
FORMER Labour Home Secretary, Mr James Callaghan yesterday forecast ‘a difficult period ahead’ for NI and also remarked that he did not expect the Ulster Unionist Party to change its spots.
‘But he argued that the Unionists had got a ‘tremendous shock’ in the summer of 1969 and it was bound to have left its mark on them.
He felt that Mr James Chichester-Clark, the PM and his Cabinet were sincere about the desire to introduce reforms.
Interviewed on RTÉ, he said: ‘Economically I think there are very great difficulties. The problem west of the Bann is a continuing one and it needs very special efforts.’
Mr Callaghan said he was not a bit worried by the apparent growing political responsibility of the Rev Ian Paisley and thought that as he represented an important element there was a lot to be said for him being present at Westminster as there was for Miss Bernadette Devlin.
He thought that neither of the Opposition groups at the moment had the potential to become the alternative government and that was one of the tragedies in the north.
The SDLP seemed to be attracting only one group to its ranks. They must build an opposition which will concentrate on the real needs of the people. ‘That is housing and jobs,’ he declared. ‘It is regional government west of the Bann.’
Messrs Lynch, Heath and Wilson all said that the Partition issue cannot be solved now or by force … yet people go on voting on this. He thought they were voting on ‘a dead issue’.
Fermanagh MP jailed
Mr Frank McManus, 28-year old MP, was yesterday sentenced to a total of six months’ imprisonment at Enniskillen Court and was taken into custody by police. A six months’ sentence was imposed on each of three charges in connection with a Civil Rights protest march on November 28 last.
SF supports IRA punishments
IRA units who carried out the weekend tarring and feathering of four men did so as part of a campaign to stamp out ‘vile, corrupt and criminal activities’, Sinn Féin said in Belfast last night. One of those tarred and feathered had been a drugs pedlar.
O’Connell monument blasted
THE 168ft O’Connell monument in Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery was damaged by an explosion early yesterday. The monument, which is a round tower, forms part of the tomb of Daniel O’Connell. (Jim Callaghan must have wondered if the Labour government missed an opportunity in 1969 to abolish the Unionist Parliament and introduce Direct Rule from Westminster. Unstable one- party rule and violence and conflict continued to define the North.)
On This Day – 13th January 1971
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.