On This Day / November 14, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201114
Reference Date
19201114
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 14th November 1920, Hamar Greenwood faced sharp questioning in the Commons from T P O’Connor and Joe Devlin over Crown reprisals in Granard and Tralee. O’Connor accused the government of denying reality as British forces burned homes and terrorised civilians. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Greenwood Under Pressure | On This Day – 14th November 1920
IN THE House of Commons yesterday, Mr T P O’Connor [Nationalist, Liverpool] said that he had put two questions to the Chief Secretary with regard to events at Granard and Tralee.
He asked whether the Chief Secretary had seen the photograph in the Manchester Guardian under the heading ‘The Sacking of Granard’.
Sir Hamar Greenwood – I am a diligent student of the Manchester Guardian.
Mr J Devlin – It doesn’t do you much good.
Sir Hamar said he had received the following information. In the case of Granard [County Longford] several houses, including a hotel and some public and private houses, were observed to be on fire at 1.15 a.m. on the 14th and considerable damage was done before the flames were extinguished.
In all nineteen properties were damaged or destroyed. The police have been unsuccessful in their endeavours to find out who were responsible for the burning. I am informed that some of the property belonged to Sinn Feiners.
In the case of Tralee, as regards the alleged closing of business houses by the police, I am informed that the police are not unduly intervening with the conduct of business.
In consequence of recent murders of the police in this district, many young men have left the town. These young men are members of the IRA.
Mr T P O’Connor – There is no doubt that a number of houses had been wrecked and burned in Granard. Can the Chief Secretary suggest by whom all this was done? Apparently the suggestion in his answer is that it could not have been done by the forces of the Crown – would he say that it was done by the people themselves?
Mr Devlin – Is it a fact that the reign of terror continues and increases in Tralee; that the privations, especially in the case of the poorer classes, are simply appalling and that many members of the community are now starving.
What action is the Chief Secretary taking to end this police despotism which is causing such hardship and suffering to the women and children in Tralee where no murders were committed?
Sir Hamar Greenwood – I have received no notice of this very long question. I do not accept as true the statement that things are so appallingly bad in Tralee.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: Once again, the British government was placed under enormous pressure by nationalist veterans Devlin and TP O’Connor on the question of reprisals.
O’Connor (‘Tay Pay’) was a successful journalist who represented the Scotland division of Liverpool from 1886 until his death in 1929. He was a friend of Lloyd George who appointed him Britain’s first film censor.)
On This Day – 14th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201114
Reference Date
19201114
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 14th November 1920, Hamar Greenwood faced sharp questioning in the Commons from T P O’Connor and Joe Devlin over Crown reprisals in Granard and Tralee. O’Connor accused the government of denying reality as British forces burned homes and terrorised civilians. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Greenwood Under Pressure | On This Day – 14th November 1920
IN THE House of Commons yesterday, Mr T P O’Connor [Nationalist, Liverpool] said that he had put two questions to the Chief Secretary with regard to events at Granard and Tralee.
He asked whether the Chief Secretary had seen the photograph in the Manchester Guardian under the heading ‘The Sacking of Granard’.
Sir Hamar Greenwood – I am a diligent student of the Manchester Guardian.
Mr J Devlin – It doesn’t do you much good.
Sir Hamar said he had received the following information. In the case of Granard [County Longford] several houses, including a hotel and some public and private houses, were observed to be on fire at 1.15 a.m. on the 14th and considerable damage was done before the flames were extinguished.
In all nineteen properties were damaged or destroyed. The police have been unsuccessful in their endeavours to find out who were responsible for the burning. I am informed that some of the property belonged to Sinn Feiners.
In the case of Tralee, as regards the alleged closing of business houses by the police, I am informed that the police are not unduly intervening with the conduct of business.
In consequence of recent murders of the police in this district, many young men have left the town. These young men are members of the IRA.
Mr T P O’Connor – There is no doubt that a number of houses had been wrecked and burned in Granard. Can the Chief Secretary suggest by whom all this was done? Apparently the suggestion in his answer is that it could not have been done by the forces of the Crown – would he say that it was done by the people themselves?
Mr Devlin – Is it a fact that the reign of terror continues and increases in Tralee; that the privations, especially in the case of the poorer classes, are simply appalling and that many members of the community are now starving.
What action is the Chief Secretary taking to end this police despotism which is causing such hardship and suffering to the women and children in Tralee where no murders were committed?
Sir Hamar Greenwood – I have received no notice of this very long question. I do not accept as true the statement that things are so appallingly bad in Tralee.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: Once again, the British government was placed under enormous pressure by nationalist veterans Devlin and TP O’Connor on the question of reprisals.
O’Connor (‘Tay Pay’) was a successful journalist who represented the Scotland division of Liverpool from 1886 until his death in 1929. He was a friend of Lloyd George who appointed him Britain’s first film censor.)
On This Day – 14th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201114
Reference Date
November 14, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 14th November 1920, Hamar Greenwood faced sharp questioning in the Commons from T P O’Connor and Joe Devlin over Crown reprisals in Granard and Tralee. O’Connor accused the government of denying reality as British forces burned homes and terrorised civilians. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Greenwood Under Pressure | On This Day – 14th November 1920
IN THE House of Commons yesterday, Mr T P O’Connor [Nationalist, Liverpool] said that he had put two questions to the Chief Secretary with regard to events at Granard and Tralee.
He asked whether the Chief Secretary had seen the photograph in the Manchester Guardian under the heading ‘The Sacking of Granard’.
Sir Hamar Greenwood – I am a diligent student of the Manchester Guardian.
Mr J Devlin – It doesn’t do you much good.
Sir Hamar said he had received the following information. In the case of Granard [County Longford] several houses, including a hotel and some public and private houses, were observed to be on fire at 1.15 a.m. on the 14th and considerable damage was done before the flames were extinguished.
In all nineteen properties were damaged or destroyed. The police have been unsuccessful in their endeavours to find out who were responsible for the burning. I am informed that some of the property belonged to Sinn Feiners.
In the case of Tralee, as regards the alleged closing of business houses by the police, I am informed that the police are not unduly intervening with the conduct of business.
In consequence of recent murders of the police in this district, many young men have left the town. These young men are members of the IRA.
Mr T P O’Connor – There is no doubt that a number of houses had been wrecked and burned in Granard. Can the Chief Secretary suggest by whom all this was done? Apparently the suggestion in his answer is that it could not have been done by the forces of the Crown – would he say that it was done by the people themselves?
Mr Devlin – Is it a fact that the reign of terror continues and increases in Tralee; that the privations, especially in the case of the poorer classes, are simply appalling and that many members of the community are now starving.
What action is the Chief Secretary taking to end this police despotism which is causing such hardship and suffering to the women and children in Tralee where no murders were committed?
Sir Hamar Greenwood – I have received no notice of this very long question. I do not accept as true the statement that things are so appallingly bad in Tralee.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: Once again, the British government was placed under enormous pressure by nationalist veterans Devlin and TP O’Connor on the question of reprisals.
O’Connor (‘Tay Pay’) was a successful journalist who represented the Scotland division of Liverpool from 1886 until his death in 1929. He was a friend of Lloyd George who appointed him Britain’s first film censor.)
On This Day – 14th 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.