On This Day / December 22, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201222
Reference Date
19201222
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 22nd December 1920, Bishop Cohalan denounced violence as “murder”, while chilling evidence emerged of an Auxiliary killing a priest in Cork and a Black and Tan was jailed for sexually-motivated assault. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘Murder is Murder’ – Bishop | On This Day – 22nd December 1920
A LETTER from Bishop Cohalan of Cork notifying Catholics of the diocese of ex-communication, already promulgated, against those organising or taking part in ambushes or kidnapping in the diocese of Cork was read in all Churches yesterday.
In his letter, Bishop Cohalan stated that the diocese of Cork had been singularly free from the crime of murder until last March but policemen had been shot throughout the country and the police believed the murder of their men was part of the Volunteer [IRA] policy.
At a general meeting of policemen in Cork city a resolution had been proposed that if any policeman was shot in the city, one of the leading Volunteers should be shot as a reprisal.
The murder of Lord Mayor MacCurtain took place on March 19th.
Since then, it had become a devil’s competition in murder and arson between members of the Volunteers and agents of the Crown.
Cork Priest’s Murder by Auxiliary
A MILITARY Court of Inquiry was held into the circumstances of the shooting of Canon Magner and a young man named Crowley at Dunmanway [West Cork].
An Auxiliary policeman stated that the second of the two cars was ordered to stop by Cadet Harte who was in charge.
He continued down the road towards a countryman who was coming in his direction, followed by a priest.
He spoke to the countryman and starting knocking him about while presenting a revolver. A shot was then fired and the man fell.
Harte then went to the priest, seized the hat from the priest’s head and threw it on the ground and made him kneel down. He fired, killing the priest.
‘He was clean off his head there’, said witness, ‘absolutely as mad as a hatter.’ At hearing.
Black and Tan Jailed
THE following results of courtmartials have been officially announced.
Constable J Huddleston, RIC, a Black and Tan, was charged in Limerick for a common assault with intent to ravish Mrs Kate Kelly.
He was found guilty and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour.
Patrick Cox, Dame Street, Enniskillen appeared at a District Courtmartial in Derry.
The evidence showed that when the accused was searched a number of notices on the Belfast Boycott and the oath of allegiance to Dail Eireann were found.
Cox refused to recognise the court and was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite Bishop Coholan’s excommunication of IRA men in his diocese, the continued depredations of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries throughout the country ensured that his words failed to diminish popular support for the independence struggle among the Catholic population.)
On This Day – 22nd December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201222
Reference Date
19201222
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 22nd December 1920, Bishop Cohalan denounced violence as “murder”, while chilling evidence emerged of an Auxiliary killing a priest in Cork and a Black and Tan was jailed for sexually-motivated assault. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘Murder is Murder’ – Bishop | On This Day – 22nd December 1920
A LETTER from Bishop Cohalan of Cork notifying Catholics of the diocese of ex-communication, already promulgated, against those organising or taking part in ambushes or kidnapping in the diocese of Cork was read in all Churches yesterday.
In his letter, Bishop Cohalan stated that the diocese of Cork had been singularly free from the crime of murder until last March but policemen had been shot throughout the country and the police believed the murder of their men was part of the Volunteer [IRA] policy.
At a general meeting of policemen in Cork city a resolution had been proposed that if any policeman was shot in the city, one of the leading Volunteers should be shot as a reprisal.
The murder of Lord Mayor MacCurtain took place on March 19th.
Since then, it had become a devil’s competition in murder and arson between members of the Volunteers and agents of the Crown.
Cork Priest’s Murder by Auxiliary
A MILITARY Court of Inquiry was held into the circumstances of the shooting of Canon Magner and a young man named Crowley at Dunmanway [West Cork].
An Auxiliary policeman stated that the second of the two cars was ordered to stop by Cadet Harte who was in charge.
He continued down the road towards a countryman who was coming in his direction, followed by a priest.
He spoke to the countryman and starting knocking him about while presenting a revolver. A shot was then fired and the man fell.
Harte then went to the priest, seized the hat from the priest’s head and threw it on the ground and made him kneel down. He fired, killing the priest.
‘He was clean off his head there’, said witness, ‘absolutely as mad as a hatter.’ At hearing.
Black and Tan Jailed
THE following results of courtmartials have been officially announced.
Constable J Huddleston, RIC, a Black and Tan, was charged in Limerick for a common assault with intent to ravish Mrs Kate Kelly.
He was found guilty and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour.
Patrick Cox, Dame Street, Enniskillen appeared at a District Courtmartial in Derry.
The evidence showed that when the accused was searched a number of notices on the Belfast Boycott and the oath of allegiance to Dail Eireann were found.
Cox refused to recognise the court and was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite Bishop Coholan’s excommunication of IRA men in his diocese, the continued depredations of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries throughout the country ensured that his words failed to diminish popular support for the independence struggle among the Catholic population.)
On This Day – 22nd December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201222
Reference Date
December 22, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 22nd December 1920, Bishop Cohalan denounced violence as “murder”, while chilling evidence emerged of an Auxiliary killing a priest in Cork and a Black and Tan was jailed for sexually-motivated assault. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
‘Murder is Murder’ – Bishop | On This Day – 22nd December 1920
A LETTER from Bishop Cohalan of Cork notifying Catholics of the diocese of ex-communication, already promulgated, against those organising or taking part in ambushes or kidnapping in the diocese of Cork was read in all Churches yesterday.
In his letter, Bishop Cohalan stated that the diocese of Cork had been singularly free from the crime of murder until last March but policemen had been shot throughout the country and the police believed the murder of their men was part of the Volunteer [IRA] policy.
At a general meeting of policemen in Cork city a resolution had been proposed that if any policeman was shot in the city, one of the leading Volunteers should be shot as a reprisal.
The murder of Lord Mayor MacCurtain took place on March 19th.
Since then, it had become a devil’s competition in murder and arson between members of the Volunteers and agents of the Crown.
Cork Priest’s Murder by Auxiliary
A MILITARY Court of Inquiry was held into the circumstances of the shooting of Canon Magner and a young man named Crowley at Dunmanway [West Cork].
An Auxiliary policeman stated that the second of the two cars was ordered to stop by Cadet Harte who was in charge.
He continued down the road towards a countryman who was coming in his direction, followed by a priest.
He spoke to the countryman and starting knocking him about while presenting a revolver. A shot was then fired and the man fell.
Harte then went to the priest, seized the hat from the priest’s head and threw it on the ground and made him kneel down. He fired, killing the priest.
‘He was clean off his head there’, said witness, ‘absolutely as mad as a hatter.’ At hearing.
Black and Tan Jailed
THE following results of courtmartials have been officially announced.
Constable J Huddleston, RIC, a Black and Tan, was charged in Limerick for a common assault with intent to ravish Mrs Kate Kelly.
He was found guilty and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour.
Patrick Cox, Dame Street, Enniskillen appeared at a District Courtmartial in Derry.
The evidence showed that when the accused was searched a number of notices on the Belfast Boycott and the oath of allegiance to Dail Eireann were found.
Cox refused to recognise the court and was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite Bishop Coholan’s excommunication of IRA men in his diocese, the continued depredations of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries throughout the country ensured that his words failed to diminish popular support for the independence struggle among the Catholic population.)
On This Day – 22nd December 1920
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.