On This Day / August 21, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
August 21, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 21st August 1971, relations between Dublin and London deteriorated sharply as Edward Heath and Jack Lynch clashed over internment and Northern Ireland. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Anglo-Irish Storm | On This Day – 21st August 1971
IRISH and British relations took a bashing last night when UK Premier Heath launched a blistering attack on the Taoiseach, Mr Lynch who, earlier, by telegram, condemned British attempts to find ‘military solutions’ to the NI crisis.
Mr Heath’s message to Dublin used the strongest language and brought into the open a rift which may be difficult to heal.
The Taoiseach declared: ‘The events since the introduction of internment clearly indicate the failure of internment and of current military operations as a solution to the problems of NI.
It must now be obvious to you that solutions require to be found through political means and should be based on the principle of immediate and full equality of treatment for everyone in NI, irrespective of political views or religion.
‘ In the event of the continuation of existing policies of attempting military solutions, I intend to support the policy of passive resistance now being pursued by the non-Unionist population. …’.
Mr Heath told Mr Lynch: ‘Your telegram is unjustified in its content, unacceptable in its attempt to interfere in the affairs of the UK and can in no way contribute to the solution of the problems of NI….
The military operations to which you refer are designed solely for the defence of the people against armed terrorists whose activities, many of which originate … in the Republic …
I find your reference to supporting a policy of passive resistance… calculated to do the maximum damage to the cooperation between the communities…’.
Catholics Resign from Public Life
THIRTY-TWO of Derry’s leading Catholic local government figures announced yesterday that they were resigning their city positions immediately.
They said it was a protest against internment, the ‘reign of repression in the city’ and the ‘humiliating treatment on Wednesday of MPs John Hume and Ivan Cooper when they were charged with ‘failing to move on command of HM forces’.
Among them are the three local members of the Derry Development Commission, including the vice-chairman, Mr Stephen McGonagle.
Hume’s Call Against Repression
SDLP MP John Hume appealed for a massive turnout at Derry’s Anti-Repression rally in the Brandywell. Mr Hume said: ‘It is now essential that everyone takes a stand… We welcome full-scale support from all areas of the North.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: WITHIN days of internment, Brian Faulkner must have felt like James II: ‘a new resignation every day’ as the-always limited-nationalist consent for Stormont rule evaporated.
But as minority demands for the abolition of Stormont intensified, Ted Heath robustly refuted Dublin’s right to be consulted in NI affairs.)
On This Day – 21st August 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.