On This Day / May 15, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19710515
Reference Date
19710515
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 15th May 1971, Stormont faced criticism over weapons sold to former Specials while students protested the Unionist-themed ‘Ulster 71’ exhibition. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘Weapons Sold to Specials’ | On This Day – 15th May 1971
REPLYING to Mr John Hume (SDLP) at Stormont yesterday, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr John Taylor said that over the years weapons had been sold to members of the Ulster Special Constabulary, but these were usually unserviceable .303 rifles which, as required by conditions of sale, were converted to .22 calibre for use in connection with Ulster Special Constabulary rifle clubs.
No sales have been made to the general public and all sales were discontinued in 1969.
Mr Hume said the fact that guns were sold in this way – some at one pound each – was scandalous.
He asked what confidence could people have in the security arrangements in NI while legal arms are being sold wholesale to the USC.
Rev Ian Paisley (Protestant Unionist) said it was quite responsible to sell to these people who had been at the time engaged in the defence of the country.
Mr Robert Mitchell (Unionist) said the public had every confidence in the responsibility of former members of the USC.
Rev William Beattie (PU) said it would have been very foolish to put these weapons out to tender. The only regret Opposition members had was that the IRA did not get the opportunity to purchase
Student Protest at ‘Ulster ‘71’
SIR Francis Evans, president of the Ulster 71 Central Council, said yesterday one of the aims of the £800,000 exhibition was to banish uncertainty.
He was speaking at lunch in the Queen’s University Whitla Hall after the official opening ceremony by the Lord Mayor of London.
‘With the help of our friends with us today we seek to inject a dose of self-confidence into our province and to banish some of the uncertainties about the future.’
The exhibition was visited by the Prime Minister, Mr Brian Faulkner.
Six hundred students from QUB demonstrated at the opening of Ulster 71 yesterday.
The students, carrying a forest of placards, marched to the main gates of the exhibition.
Three Army Land Rovers accompanied the demonstrators but there were no incidents.
Inside the exhibition the president of the Students’ Union, Mr Kevin Finnegan spoke to the crowd and said that there was no doubt that Ulster 71 was a political event, celebrating fifty years of Unionism. As such, it was biased, wasteful and nonproductive.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Launched by the last Unionist government in May 1971 to mark Northern Ireland’s golden jubilee, ‘Ulster 71′ was boycotted by nationalists as a piece of Unionist triumphalism.
Its catchy signature tune, ‘Ulster 71: Come and join in the fun’, seemed a mockery after internment and blood on the streets that violent summer.)
On This Day – 15th May 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710515
Reference Date
19710515
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 15th May 1971, Stormont faced criticism over weapons sold to former Specials while students protested the Unionist-themed ‘Ulster 71’ exhibition. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘Weapons Sold to Specials’ | On This Day – 15th May 1971
REPLYING to Mr John Hume (SDLP) at Stormont yesterday, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr John Taylor said that over the years weapons had been sold to members of the Ulster Special Constabulary, but these were usually unserviceable .303 rifles which, as required by conditions of sale, were converted to .22 calibre for use in connection with Ulster Special Constabulary rifle clubs.
No sales have been made to the general public and all sales were discontinued in 1969.
Mr Hume said the fact that guns were sold in this way – some at one pound each – was scandalous.
He asked what confidence could people have in the security arrangements in NI while legal arms are being sold wholesale to the USC.
Rev Ian Paisley (Protestant Unionist) said it was quite responsible to sell to these people who had been at the time engaged in the defence of the country.
Mr Robert Mitchell (Unionist) said the public had every confidence in the responsibility of former members of the USC.
Rev William Beattie (PU) said it would have been very foolish to put these weapons out to tender. The only regret Opposition members had was that the IRA did not get the opportunity to purchase
Student Protest at ‘Ulster ‘71’
SIR Francis Evans, president of the Ulster 71 Central Council, said yesterday one of the aims of the £800,000 exhibition was to banish uncertainty.
He was speaking at lunch in the Queen’s University Whitla Hall after the official opening ceremony by the Lord Mayor of London.
‘With the help of our friends with us today we seek to inject a dose of self-confidence into our province and to banish some of the uncertainties about the future.’
The exhibition was visited by the Prime Minister, Mr Brian Faulkner.
Six hundred students from QUB demonstrated at the opening of Ulster 71 yesterday.
The students, carrying a forest of placards, marched to the main gates of the exhibition.
Three Army Land Rovers accompanied the demonstrators but there were no incidents.
Inside the exhibition the president of the Students’ Union, Mr Kevin Finnegan spoke to the crowd and said that there was no doubt that Ulster 71 was a political event, celebrating fifty years of Unionism. As such, it was biased, wasteful and nonproductive.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Launched by the last Unionist government in May 1971 to mark Northern Ireland’s golden jubilee, ‘Ulster 71′ was boycotted by nationalists as a piece of Unionist triumphalism.
Its catchy signature tune, ‘Ulster 71: Come and join in the fun’, seemed a mockery after internment and blood on the streets that violent summer.)
On This Day – 15th May 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710515
Reference Date
May 15, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 15th May 1971, Stormont faced criticism over weapons sold to former Specials while students protested the Unionist-themed ‘Ulster 71’ exhibition. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘Weapons Sold to Specials’ | On This Day – 15th May 1971
REPLYING to Mr John Hume (SDLP) at Stormont yesterday, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr John Taylor said that over the years weapons had been sold to members of the Ulster Special Constabulary, but these were usually unserviceable .303 rifles which, as required by conditions of sale, were converted to .22 calibre for use in connection with Ulster Special Constabulary rifle clubs.
No sales have been made to the general public and all sales were discontinued in 1969.
Mr Hume said the fact that guns were sold in this way – some at one pound each – was scandalous.
He asked what confidence could people have in the security arrangements in NI while legal arms are being sold wholesale to the USC.
Rev Ian Paisley (Protestant Unionist) said it was quite responsible to sell to these people who had been at the time engaged in the defence of the country.
Mr Robert Mitchell (Unionist) said the public had every confidence in the responsibility of former members of the USC.
Rev William Beattie (PU) said it would have been very foolish to put these weapons out to tender. The only regret Opposition members had was that the IRA did not get the opportunity to purchase
Student Protest at ‘Ulster ‘71’
SIR Francis Evans, president of the Ulster 71 Central Council, said yesterday one of the aims of the £800,000 exhibition was to banish uncertainty.
He was speaking at lunch in the Queen’s University Whitla Hall after the official opening ceremony by the Lord Mayor of London.
‘With the help of our friends with us today we seek to inject a dose of self-confidence into our province and to banish some of the uncertainties about the future.’
The exhibition was visited by the Prime Minister, Mr Brian Faulkner.
Six hundred students from QUB demonstrated at the opening of Ulster 71 yesterday.
The students, carrying a forest of placards, marched to the main gates of the exhibition.
Three Army Land Rovers accompanied the demonstrators but there were no incidents.
Inside the exhibition the president of the Students’ Union, Mr Kevin Finnegan spoke to the crowd and said that there was no doubt that Ulster 71 was a political event, celebrating fifty years of Unionism. As such, it was biased, wasteful and nonproductive.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Launched by the last Unionist government in May 1971 to mark Northern Ireland’s golden jubilee, ‘Ulster 71′ was boycotted by nationalists as a piece of Unionist triumphalism.
Its catchy signature tune, ‘Ulster 71: Come and join in the fun’, seemed a mockery after internment and blood on the streets that violent summer.)
On This Day – 15th 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.