On This Day / October 16, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
October 16, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 16th October 1921, Catholic schoolchildren in Belfast faced a series of sectarian attacks, while expelled workers prepared to take their case to British trade unionists in London. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Sectarian Attacks on Pupils | On This Day – 16th October 1921
THE campaign against Catholic schoolchildren which was started by a mob in Conway Street has now spread to Ballymacarrett, the victims being the children attending Richardson Street (Ravenhill Road) and Willowfield Schools.
The interference with the children at Richardson Street Schools has occurred at intervals during the past few weeks and repeated applications have been made at Mountpottinger Barracks for police protection, generally with success.
Attacks on children returning from Willowfield Schools this week, however, have been of a more serious character and adequate protection by the authorities on the Woodstock Road is an absolute necessity to prevent a possible tragedy as, yesterday, iron bars, belts and stones were used by a mob of boys aged from 12-18 years.
On Wednesday, after leaving school, the children were mercilessly stoned by a mob and a seven-year old boy sustained a scalp wound from a stone.
Yesterday the attackers, armed with iron bars, sticks and belts rushed at the children as they emerged from school.
To the credit of two residents of the locality, it may be stated that they interfered and saved two of the boys from a savage beating.
Trafalgar Square Protest over ‘Expelled Workers’
THE [Labour-leaning] Daily Herald says: The outrage to which trade unionists have been subjected in Belfast by their violent expulsion from shipyards and other works is being brought to the attention of British workers by a special delegation of members of the Belfast Labour Party and Trades Council.
They have arranged a demonstration in Trafalgar Square on next Sunday at 3 p.m. All London workers are urged to attend.
The case will be presented by Councillor James Baird and Mr John A Hanna. Their object is to inform British trade unionists of the real causes of the boycott of Irish Nationalists in Belfast.
The growth of trade unionism, they point out, has endangered the power of the bosses in the North of Ireland.
Religious and political bigotry was deliberately used by the leaders of Ulster Unionism who were also leaders of big business, to keep the workers from uniting to fight their common battle.
The masters are still stirring up these evil forces in order to prevent economic and political unity among the workers.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: MUCH of the violence which scarred Belfast was vicious and sectarian including these orchestrated attacks on Catholic pupils – similar to the shocking scenes at Holy Cross in our own day.
By now, over a year had passed since the Belfast sectarian work expulsions, publicly supported by Craig, prompting a deputation led by Councillor James Baird, himself a Protestant expelled worker, to London.)
On This Day – 16th October 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.