On This Day / April 21, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210421
Reference Date
19210421
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 21st April 1921, two RIC constables were taken from a train and shot dead in Sligo, while the Government defended collective fines and Nationalists organised in Tyrone. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
Constables Killed on Train | On This Day 21st April 1921
WHILE travelling by train between Dublin and Ballasadare [County Sligo], Constables Kelly and Hetherington, RIC, were removed from the compartment they occupied, brought out to the roadside and shot dead.
When the train stopped at Ballasodare Station, it is stated that armed and masked men held up the driver while another batch proceeded to the compartment in which the policemen were seated.
Constable Kelly is a young man and a native of County Roscommon. He leaves a wife and two children.
Constable Hetherington, the other victim, is a native of Fivemiletown, County Tyrone and had been stationed in Sligo.
He is said to have been a man of quiet, retiring character.
‘Fines’ Imposed by Military
MR [AUSTEN] Chamberlain [Chancellor of the Exchequer], replying to Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy in the House of Commons yesterday, said it was within the discretion of the Military Governors in the martial law area to direct the carrying out of the punishment of districts in which outrages had been committed.
The imposition of collective fines was a legitimate, recognised feature of martial law administration.
The general policy pursued by the Military Governors in Ireland had the full approval of the Government.
Mr Chamberlain said it was obvious that in a large number of these cases the preparation of the outrages perpetrated on the forces of the Crown must be within the knowledge of the inhabitants (cheers and Opposition cries of No ) and the Government thought it necessary to bring home their responsibility to the inhabitants of the district.
Tyrone Nationalists Meet
A LARGELY attended Nationalist Convention was held in St Patrick’s Hall, Dungannon yesterday at which delegates attended from all parts of Tyrone. Mr Joseph Devlin, MP presided.
Messrs T J S Harbison, MP, Cookstown and John Devlin, Omagh, were unanimously selected as candidates for the forthcoming elections.
Another large meeting of the AOH was held in the National Club, Belfast where stirring addresses were delivered by Mr Devlin and Mr Thomas J Campbell, KC.
Carson Becomes Law Lord
THE ‘diarist’ of the London Evening News stated yesterday: Sir Edward Carson had luncheon with the Prime Minister [Lloyd George] on Wednesday and accepted the invitation to become Lord of Appeal.
I hear that Mr Lloyd George spoke most feelingly of his regretted losing so trusty a henchman from the House.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: As the bloodshed continued in Ireland and Lloyd George despatched a disguised Lord Derby to put out ‘peace feelers’ to de Valera, Carson abandoned the fray of Ulster politics for the House of Lords as Lord Carson of Duncairn – a far cry from his Dublin and Galway roots.)
On This Day – 21st April 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210421
Reference Date
19210421
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 21st April 1921, two RIC constables were taken from a train and shot dead in Sligo, while the Government defended collective fines and Nationalists organised in Tyrone. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
Constables Killed on Train | On This Day 21st April 1921
WHILE travelling by train between Dublin and Ballasadare [County Sligo], Constables Kelly and Hetherington, RIC, were removed from the compartment they occupied, brought out to the roadside and shot dead.
When the train stopped at Ballasodare Station, it is stated that armed and masked men held up the driver while another batch proceeded to the compartment in which the policemen were seated.
Constable Kelly is a young man and a native of County Roscommon. He leaves a wife and two children.
Constable Hetherington, the other victim, is a native of Fivemiletown, County Tyrone and had been stationed in Sligo.
He is said to have been a man of quiet, retiring character.
‘Fines’ Imposed by Military
MR [AUSTEN] Chamberlain [Chancellor of the Exchequer], replying to Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy in the House of Commons yesterday, said it was within the discretion of the Military Governors in the martial law area to direct the carrying out of the punishment of districts in which outrages had been committed.
The imposition of collective fines was a legitimate, recognised feature of martial law administration.
The general policy pursued by the Military Governors in Ireland had the full approval of the Government.
Mr Chamberlain said it was obvious that in a large number of these cases the preparation of the outrages perpetrated on the forces of the Crown must be within the knowledge of the inhabitants (cheers and Opposition cries of No ) and the Government thought it necessary to bring home their responsibility to the inhabitants of the district.
Tyrone Nationalists Meet
A LARGELY attended Nationalist Convention was held in St Patrick’s Hall, Dungannon yesterday at which delegates attended from all parts of Tyrone. Mr Joseph Devlin, MP presided.
Messrs T J S Harbison, MP, Cookstown and John Devlin, Omagh, were unanimously selected as candidates for the forthcoming elections.
Another large meeting of the AOH was held in the National Club, Belfast where stirring addresses were delivered by Mr Devlin and Mr Thomas J Campbell, KC.
Carson Becomes Law Lord
THE ‘diarist’ of the London Evening News stated yesterday: Sir Edward Carson had luncheon with the Prime Minister [Lloyd George] on Wednesday and accepted the invitation to become Lord of Appeal.
I hear that Mr Lloyd George spoke most feelingly of his regretted losing so trusty a henchman from the House.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: As the bloodshed continued in Ireland and Lloyd George despatched a disguised Lord Derby to put out ‘peace feelers’ to de Valera, Carson abandoned the fray of Ulster politics for the House of Lords as Lord Carson of Duncairn – a far cry from his Dublin and Galway roots.)
On This Day – 21st April 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210421
Reference Date
April 21, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 21st April 1921, two RIC constables were taken from a train and shot dead in Sligo, while the Government defended collective fines and Nationalists organised in Tyrone. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
Constables Killed on Train | On This Day 21st April 1921
WHILE travelling by train between Dublin and Ballasadare [County Sligo], Constables Kelly and Hetherington, RIC, were removed from the compartment they occupied, brought out to the roadside and shot dead.
When the train stopped at Ballasodare Station, it is stated that armed and masked men held up the driver while another batch proceeded to the compartment in which the policemen were seated.
Constable Kelly is a young man and a native of County Roscommon. He leaves a wife and two children.
Constable Hetherington, the other victim, is a native of Fivemiletown, County Tyrone and had been stationed in Sligo.
He is said to have been a man of quiet, retiring character.
‘Fines’ Imposed by Military
MR [AUSTEN] Chamberlain [Chancellor of the Exchequer], replying to Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy in the House of Commons yesterday, said it was within the discretion of the Military Governors in the martial law area to direct the carrying out of the punishment of districts in which outrages had been committed.
The imposition of collective fines was a legitimate, recognised feature of martial law administration.
The general policy pursued by the Military Governors in Ireland had the full approval of the Government.
Mr Chamberlain said it was obvious that in a large number of these cases the preparation of the outrages perpetrated on the forces of the Crown must be within the knowledge of the inhabitants (cheers and Opposition cries of No ) and the Government thought it necessary to bring home their responsibility to the inhabitants of the district.
Tyrone Nationalists Meet
A LARGELY attended Nationalist Convention was held in St Patrick’s Hall, Dungannon yesterday at which delegates attended from all parts of Tyrone. Mr Joseph Devlin, MP presided.
Messrs T J S Harbison, MP, Cookstown and John Devlin, Omagh, were unanimously selected as candidates for the forthcoming elections.
Another large meeting of the AOH was held in the National Club, Belfast where stirring addresses were delivered by Mr Devlin and Mr Thomas J Campbell, KC.
Carson Becomes Law Lord
THE ‘diarist’ of the London Evening News stated yesterday: Sir Edward Carson had luncheon with the Prime Minister [Lloyd George] on Wednesday and accepted the invitation to become Lord of Appeal.
I hear that Mr Lloyd George spoke most feelingly of his regretted losing so trusty a henchman from the House.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: As the bloodshed continued in Ireland and Lloyd George despatched a disguised Lord Derby to put out ‘peace feelers’ to de Valera, Carson abandoned the fray of Ulster politics for the House of Lords as Lord Carson of Duncairn – a far cry from his Dublin and Galway roots.)
On This Day – 21st April 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.