On This Day / May 13, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19710513
Reference Date
19710513
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 13th May 1971, former Taoiseach Seán Lemass, architect of Ireland’s economic growth, died. Evidence at the Scarman Tribunal highlighted concerns over B Special weapons controls. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Death of Sean Lemass | On This Day – 13th May 1971
MR SEAN Lemass, architect of Ireland’s industrial growth, who died in a Dublin nursing home, is to get a state funeral.
The 71 year- old former 1916 fighter, who made his mark as Minister of Industry and Commerce and became Taoiseach and leader of the Fianna Fail party in succession to President de Valera, had been ill with a respiratory complaint.
Tributes from leaders of State and Church have been paid.
‘I have lost a dear friend and the most loyal comrade and the nation has lost a patriot of the highest rank,’ President de Valera said.
‘As a soldier he served with Pearse and Connolly in the GPO and later as second in command with Paddy O’Brien, took possession of the Four Courts.
‘As Minister for Industry and Commerce he set out at once to build up our industries.’
Leader of Fine Gael, Mr Liam Cosgrave said Mr Lemass could be described as the first realist in Fianna Fail.
He said that though on different sides politically, he enjoyed the most cordial personal relations with Mr Lemass.
Mr Lemass was born in Dublin in 1699 and educated by the Christian Brothers.
In March 1952 he said in London: ‘May I express the hope that some day commonsense will be substituted for prejudice in relation to the problem of Partition so that a solution to it will be found for the benefit of the Irish people of the North and the South and for the benefit of Britain also.’
In 1959, soon after becoming Taoiseach, he suggested a system of ‘useful cooperation’ between the two parts of Ireland.
In January 1965 in Belfast Mr Lemass met Mr Terence O’Neill, then NI Premier – the first meeting of its kind in forty years.
Later that year Mr Lemass said: ‘Our aim is to reunite the Irish people in one nation and one state. We recognise the realities of the situation.’
Ex-Special’s Admission
A FORMER B Special sergeant told the Scarman Tribunal in Belfast yesterday that he failed to record the serial numbers of guns issued to his men because ‘a lot of work was involved’.
He also revealed that guns issued were often ‘mixed up’ and that one sergeant frequently changed his revolver because he wanted a good one for competitions.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: A TOUGH 1916 veteran who had accidentally shot his toddler brother dead at home on the eve of the Rising, Sean Lemass was noted for his more pragmatic policy towards the north.
He met O’Neill in 1965 and persuaded the Nationalist Party to accept the role of official opposition for the first time.)
On This Day – 13th May 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710513
Reference Date
19710513
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 13th May 1971, former Taoiseach Seán Lemass, architect of Ireland’s economic growth, died. Evidence at the Scarman Tribunal highlighted concerns over B Special weapons controls. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Death of Sean Lemass | On This Day – 13th May 1971
MR SEAN Lemass, architect of Ireland’s industrial growth, who died in a Dublin nursing home, is to get a state funeral.
The 71 year- old former 1916 fighter, who made his mark as Minister of Industry and Commerce and became Taoiseach and leader of the Fianna Fail party in succession to President de Valera, had been ill with a respiratory complaint.
Tributes from leaders of State and Church have been paid.
‘I have lost a dear friend and the most loyal comrade and the nation has lost a patriot of the highest rank,’ President de Valera said.
‘As a soldier he served with Pearse and Connolly in the GPO and later as second in command with Paddy O’Brien, took possession of the Four Courts.
‘As Minister for Industry and Commerce he set out at once to build up our industries.’
Leader of Fine Gael, Mr Liam Cosgrave said Mr Lemass could be described as the first realist in Fianna Fail.
He said that though on different sides politically, he enjoyed the most cordial personal relations with Mr Lemass.
Mr Lemass was born in Dublin in 1699 and educated by the Christian Brothers.
In March 1952 he said in London: ‘May I express the hope that some day commonsense will be substituted for prejudice in relation to the problem of Partition so that a solution to it will be found for the benefit of the Irish people of the North and the South and for the benefit of Britain also.’
In 1959, soon after becoming Taoiseach, he suggested a system of ‘useful cooperation’ between the two parts of Ireland.
In January 1965 in Belfast Mr Lemass met Mr Terence O’Neill, then NI Premier – the first meeting of its kind in forty years.
Later that year Mr Lemass said: ‘Our aim is to reunite the Irish people in one nation and one state. We recognise the realities of the situation.’
Ex-Special’s Admission
A FORMER B Special sergeant told the Scarman Tribunal in Belfast yesterday that he failed to record the serial numbers of guns issued to his men because ‘a lot of work was involved’.
He also revealed that guns issued were often ‘mixed up’ and that one sergeant frequently changed his revolver because he wanted a good one for competitions.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: A TOUGH 1916 veteran who had accidentally shot his toddler brother dead at home on the eve of the Rising, Sean Lemass was noted for his more pragmatic policy towards the north.
He met O’Neill in 1965 and persuaded the Nationalist Party to accept the role of official opposition for the first time.)
On This Day – 13th May 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710513
Reference Date
May 13, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 13th May 1971, former Taoiseach Seán Lemass, architect of Ireland’s economic growth, died. Evidence at the Scarman Tribunal highlighted concerns over B Special weapons controls. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Death of Sean Lemass | On This Day – 13th May 1971
MR SEAN Lemass, architect of Ireland’s industrial growth, who died in a Dublin nursing home, is to get a state funeral.
The 71 year- old former 1916 fighter, who made his mark as Minister of Industry and Commerce and became Taoiseach and leader of the Fianna Fail party in succession to President de Valera, had been ill with a respiratory complaint.
Tributes from leaders of State and Church have been paid.
‘I have lost a dear friend and the most loyal comrade and the nation has lost a patriot of the highest rank,’ President de Valera said.
‘As a soldier he served with Pearse and Connolly in the GPO and later as second in command with Paddy O’Brien, took possession of the Four Courts.
‘As Minister for Industry and Commerce he set out at once to build up our industries.’
Leader of Fine Gael, Mr Liam Cosgrave said Mr Lemass could be described as the first realist in Fianna Fail.
He said that though on different sides politically, he enjoyed the most cordial personal relations with Mr Lemass.
Mr Lemass was born in Dublin in 1699 and educated by the Christian Brothers.
In March 1952 he said in London: ‘May I express the hope that some day commonsense will be substituted for prejudice in relation to the problem of Partition so that a solution to it will be found for the benefit of the Irish people of the North and the South and for the benefit of Britain also.’
In 1959, soon after becoming Taoiseach, he suggested a system of ‘useful cooperation’ between the two parts of Ireland.
In January 1965 in Belfast Mr Lemass met Mr Terence O’Neill, then NI Premier – the first meeting of its kind in forty years.
Later that year Mr Lemass said: ‘Our aim is to reunite the Irish people in one nation and one state. We recognise the realities of the situation.’
Ex-Special’s Admission
A FORMER B Special sergeant told the Scarman Tribunal in Belfast yesterday that he failed to record the serial numbers of guns issued to his men because ‘a lot of work was involved’.
He also revealed that guns issued were often ‘mixed up’ and that one sergeant frequently changed his revolver because he wanted a good one for competitions.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: A TOUGH 1916 veteran who had accidentally shot his toddler brother dead at home on the eve of the Rising, Sean Lemass was noted for his more pragmatic policy towards the north.
He met O’Neill in 1965 and persuaded the Nationalist Party to accept the role of official opposition for the first time.)
On This Day – 13th May 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.