On This Day / January 18, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210118
Reference Date
19210118
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 18th January 1921, Partition’s administrative impact alarmed Derry Unionists as Donegal districts were reassigned, while a troop train was ambushed and derailed at Kincasslagh. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Derry Unionists and Partition| On This Day – 18th January 1921
A COMMUNICATION from the Local Government Board [Dublin] on Saturday brought home to the Derry Board of Guardians and the Derry Number Two Rural District Council the effect of Partition.
Derry Number Two Rural District is situated in Donegal and it is proposed to annexe it to Letterkenny, a proposal against which the Unionist members of the Council protested.
The cutting-off of this district from the area administered by the Guardians was also objected to on the ground that, while the Board will be deprived of the income from that part of Donegal, no reduction could be effected in the working expenses of the institution in Derry.
The Local Government Board informed the Guardians that, as under the Government of Ireland Act [1920], the county of Derry would form part of the Northern area and the county of Donegal part of the Southern area, it became essential for administrative purposes to alter the present boundaries of the Union.
As a result, the Board had given instructions for the issue of an Order separating the townlands comprised in Derry Number Two Rural District from the Union of Derry and adding them to the Union of Letterkenny from 1st April next.
The chairman (Mr AJ Irwin) – It is a very serious matter because we will lose our contributions from Donegal.
Mr Mitchell (Unionist) moved and Mr Alexander (Unionist) seconded a resolution asking the Local Government Board to allow Derry Number Two District to continue as a separate council and not to amalgamate it with Letterkenny.
An amendment that no action be taken was moved by Mr Bradley (Nationalist). The voting was equal and the chairman gave his casting vote in favour of the motion which was carried.
Troop Train Ambushed
A TROOP train proceeding to Dungloe (Co Donegal) was ambushed at Kincasslagh on Wednesday. It was derailed by large boulders which had been placed across the line and heavy fire was opened upon it.
According to information, it reached its destination without casualty to its occupants but the train was riddled with bullets.
The attack was carefully planned. It is rumoured that the attacking party suffered heavy casualties.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The unwelcome consequences of partition clearly came as a shock to the Derry Unionists who had long controlled the Derry Rural Council covering the strongly Unionist Laggan in East Donegal.
Partition required major administrative and legal changes along the new proposed new border as Derry and Enniskillen Poor Law Unions lost their hinterlands in Donegal, Cavan and Leitrim and Clones, along with Derry, faced economic ruin.)
On This Day – 18th January 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210118
Reference Date
19210118
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 18th January 1921, Partition’s administrative impact alarmed Derry Unionists as Donegal districts were reassigned, while a troop train was ambushed and derailed at Kincasslagh. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Derry Unionists and Partition| On This Day – 18th January 1921
A COMMUNICATION from the Local Government Board [Dublin] on Saturday brought home to the Derry Board of Guardians and the Derry Number Two Rural District Council the effect of Partition.
Derry Number Two Rural District is situated in Donegal and it is proposed to annexe it to Letterkenny, a proposal against which the Unionist members of the Council protested.
The cutting-off of this district from the area administered by the Guardians was also objected to on the ground that, while the Board will be deprived of the income from that part of Donegal, no reduction could be effected in the working expenses of the institution in Derry.
The Local Government Board informed the Guardians that, as under the Government of Ireland Act [1920], the county of Derry would form part of the Northern area and the county of Donegal part of the Southern area, it became essential for administrative purposes to alter the present boundaries of the Union.
As a result, the Board had given instructions for the issue of an Order separating the townlands comprised in Derry Number Two Rural District from the Union of Derry and adding them to the Union of Letterkenny from 1st April next.
The chairman (Mr AJ Irwin) – It is a very serious matter because we will lose our contributions from Donegal.
Mr Mitchell (Unionist) moved and Mr Alexander (Unionist) seconded a resolution asking the Local Government Board to allow Derry Number Two District to continue as a separate council and not to amalgamate it with Letterkenny.
An amendment that no action be taken was moved by Mr Bradley (Nationalist). The voting was equal and the chairman gave his casting vote in favour of the motion which was carried.
Troop Train Ambushed
A TROOP train proceeding to Dungloe (Co Donegal) was ambushed at Kincasslagh on Wednesday. It was derailed by large boulders which had been placed across the line and heavy fire was opened upon it.
According to information, it reached its destination without casualty to its occupants but the train was riddled with bullets.
The attack was carefully planned. It is rumoured that the attacking party suffered heavy casualties.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The unwelcome consequences of partition clearly came as a shock to the Derry Unionists who had long controlled the Derry Rural Council covering the strongly Unionist Laggan in East Donegal.
Partition required major administrative and legal changes along the new proposed new border as Derry and Enniskillen Poor Law Unions lost their hinterlands in Donegal, Cavan and Leitrim and Clones, along with Derry, faced economic ruin.)
On This Day – 18th January 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210118
Reference Date
January 18, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 18th January 1921, Partition’s administrative impact alarmed Derry Unionists as Donegal districts were reassigned, while a troop train was ambushed and derailed at Kincasslagh. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Derry Unionists and Partition| On This Day – 18th January 1921
A COMMUNICATION from the Local Government Board [Dublin] on Saturday brought home to the Derry Board of Guardians and the Derry Number Two Rural District Council the effect of Partition.
Derry Number Two Rural District is situated in Donegal and it is proposed to annexe it to Letterkenny, a proposal against which the Unionist members of the Council protested.
The cutting-off of this district from the area administered by the Guardians was also objected to on the ground that, while the Board will be deprived of the income from that part of Donegal, no reduction could be effected in the working expenses of the institution in Derry.
The Local Government Board informed the Guardians that, as under the Government of Ireland Act [1920], the county of Derry would form part of the Northern area and the county of Donegal part of the Southern area, it became essential for administrative purposes to alter the present boundaries of the Union.
As a result, the Board had given instructions for the issue of an Order separating the townlands comprised in Derry Number Two Rural District from the Union of Derry and adding them to the Union of Letterkenny from 1st April next.
The chairman (Mr AJ Irwin) – It is a very serious matter because we will lose our contributions from Donegal.
Mr Mitchell (Unionist) moved and Mr Alexander (Unionist) seconded a resolution asking the Local Government Board to allow Derry Number Two District to continue as a separate council and not to amalgamate it with Letterkenny.
An amendment that no action be taken was moved by Mr Bradley (Nationalist). The voting was equal and the chairman gave his casting vote in favour of the motion which was carried.
Troop Train Ambushed
A TROOP train proceeding to Dungloe (Co Donegal) was ambushed at Kincasslagh on Wednesday. It was derailed by large boulders which had been placed across the line and heavy fire was opened upon it.
According to information, it reached its destination without casualty to its occupants but the train was riddled with bullets.
The attack was carefully planned. It is rumoured that the attacking party suffered heavy casualties.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The unwelcome consequences of partition clearly came as a shock to the Derry Unionists who had long controlled the Derry Rural Council covering the strongly Unionist Laggan in East Donegal.
Partition required major administrative and legal changes along the new proposed new border as Derry and Enniskillen Poor Law Unions lost their hinterlands in Donegal, Cavan and Leitrim and Clones, along with Derry, faced economic ruin.)
On This Day – 18th January 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.