On This Day / March 16, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210316
Reference Date
19210316
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 16th March 1921, evidence of killings emerged at court martial proceedings after the Battle of Clonmult, RIC resignations rose sharply, and tensions intensified in Newry following police shootings. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
Battle of Clonmult | On This Day – 16th March 1921
THE courtmartial of seven men who are charged with levying war against his Majesty at Clonmult, County Cork in February last was resumed in Cork.
A soldier swore that on 20th February he was one of the party who went to Clonmult. He was detailed to fire at a window in the back of the house.
He remained firing at the window at intervals until he heard shouting. He went around and saw prisoners lined up against the barn with their hands above their heads.
Cross-examined by Mr Cornyn for the defence, witness said that from the time the shooting began until he saw the dead bodies lying in the yard and the men lined up was about five minutes.
He did not see any firearms in the hands of the men. He saw the roof of the house being set on fire [by an officer].
When the soldiers went to meet the first group of men leaving the house, fire was opened on them.
Witness saw two men trying to escape, one armed with a rifle and bayonet and the other with a revolver. They were killed.
Four armed men, with RIC carbines, tried to escape and they were shot.
The President said the suggestion was that when the men came out of the house and surrendered they were shot.
RIC Resignations
SIR Hamar Greenwood was given the following figures on resignations from the RIC in Ireland during the previous twelve months.
These show that 2,193 members of the RIC resigned during that period while 226 had been dismissed. The establishment strength of the RIC is 9,500.
Tension in Newry
CONSIDERABLE tension prevails in Newry since the shooting incidents a few nights ago when three men were wounded by a volley fired by the police at a crowd of civilians who ran away when challenged.
On Friday morning a notice was posted up threatening the Specials and RIC.
On the following morning a ‘warning’ was found posted up: ‘On the night of 10th March 1921 notices were posted in Newry threatening the safety of the Crown forces.
‘Take notice that attempts to carry out this threat.. .will result in drastic and extreme measures.
‘That the citizens of Newry are held responsible for the presence of persons of evil intent in this town to be notified to the authorities.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: THE ‘Battle of Clonmult’, when Crown forces surrounded IRA men in a farmhouse, features in Seamus Heaney’s reference to “stockinged corpse laid out in farmyards”.
The deployment of the Specials in Newry saw a rise in tension in the nationalist town.)
On This Day – 16th March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210316
Reference Date
19210316
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 16th March 1921, evidence of killings emerged at court martial proceedings after the Battle of Clonmult, RIC resignations rose sharply, and tensions intensified in Newry following police shootings. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
Battle of Clonmult | On This Day – 16th March 1921
THE courtmartial of seven men who are charged with levying war against his Majesty at Clonmult, County Cork in February last was resumed in Cork.
A soldier swore that on 20th February he was one of the party who went to Clonmult. He was detailed to fire at a window in the back of the house.
He remained firing at the window at intervals until he heard shouting. He went around and saw prisoners lined up against the barn with their hands above their heads.
Cross-examined by Mr Cornyn for the defence, witness said that from the time the shooting began until he saw the dead bodies lying in the yard and the men lined up was about five minutes.
He did not see any firearms in the hands of the men. He saw the roof of the house being set on fire [by an officer].
When the soldiers went to meet the first group of men leaving the house, fire was opened on them.
Witness saw two men trying to escape, one armed with a rifle and bayonet and the other with a revolver. They were killed.
Four armed men, with RIC carbines, tried to escape and they were shot.
The President said the suggestion was that when the men came out of the house and surrendered they were shot.
RIC Resignations
SIR Hamar Greenwood was given the following figures on resignations from the RIC in Ireland during the previous twelve months.
These show that 2,193 members of the RIC resigned during that period while 226 had been dismissed. The establishment strength of the RIC is 9,500.
Tension in Newry
CONSIDERABLE tension prevails in Newry since the shooting incidents a few nights ago when three men were wounded by a volley fired by the police at a crowd of civilians who ran away when challenged.
On Friday morning a notice was posted up threatening the Specials and RIC.
On the following morning a ‘warning’ was found posted up: ‘On the night of 10th March 1921 notices were posted in Newry threatening the safety of the Crown forces.
‘Take notice that attempts to carry out this threat.. .will result in drastic and extreme measures.
‘That the citizens of Newry are held responsible for the presence of persons of evil intent in this town to be notified to the authorities.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: THE ‘Battle of Clonmult’, when Crown forces surrounded IRA men in a farmhouse, features in Seamus Heaney’s reference to “stockinged corpse laid out in farmyards”.
The deployment of the Specials in Newry saw a rise in tension in the nationalist town.)
On This Day – 16th March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210316
Reference Date
March 16, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 16th March 1921, evidence of killings emerged at court martial proceedings after the Battle of Clonmult, RIC resignations rose sharply, and tensions intensified in Newry following police shootings. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
Battle of Clonmult | On This Day – 16th March 1921
THE courtmartial of seven men who are charged with levying war against his Majesty at Clonmult, County Cork in February last was resumed in Cork.
A soldier swore that on 20th February he was one of the party who went to Clonmult. He was detailed to fire at a window in the back of the house.
He remained firing at the window at intervals until he heard shouting. He went around and saw prisoners lined up against the barn with their hands above their heads.
Cross-examined by Mr Cornyn for the defence, witness said that from the time the shooting began until he saw the dead bodies lying in the yard and the men lined up was about five minutes.
He did not see any firearms in the hands of the men. He saw the roof of the house being set on fire [by an officer].
When the soldiers went to meet the first group of men leaving the house, fire was opened on them.
Witness saw two men trying to escape, one armed with a rifle and bayonet and the other with a revolver. They were killed.
Four armed men, with RIC carbines, tried to escape and they were shot.
The President said the suggestion was that when the men came out of the house and surrendered they were shot.
RIC Resignations
SIR Hamar Greenwood was given the following figures on resignations from the RIC in Ireland during the previous twelve months.
These show that 2,193 members of the RIC resigned during that period while 226 had been dismissed. The establishment strength of the RIC is 9,500.
Tension in Newry
CONSIDERABLE tension prevails in Newry since the shooting incidents a few nights ago when three men were wounded by a volley fired by the police at a crowd of civilians who ran away when challenged.
On Friday morning a notice was posted up threatening the Specials and RIC.
On the following morning a ‘warning’ was found posted up: ‘On the night of 10th March 1921 notices were posted in Newry threatening the safety of the Crown forces.
‘Take notice that attempts to carry out this threat.. .will result in drastic and extreme measures.
‘That the citizens of Newry are held responsible for the presence of persons of evil intent in this town to be notified to the authorities.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: THE ‘Battle of Clonmult’, when Crown forces surrounded IRA men in a farmhouse, features in Seamus Heaney’s reference to “stockinged corpse laid out in farmyards”.
The deployment of the Specials in Newry saw a rise in tension in the nationalist town.)
On This Day – 16th March 1921
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.