On This Day / May 22, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19710522
Reference Date
19710522
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 22nd May 1971, riots erupted in Belfast’s New Lodge area amid accusations against Scottish troops while civil rights MP Frank McManus was released from jail. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
New Lodge Riots | On This Day – 22nd May 1971
LAST night, in the aftermath of the rioting in Belfast’s New Lodge Road area, angry Opposition MPs expressed bitter criticism of the Army’s role and claimed that sections of the Royal Highland Fusiliers ran amok through the civilian population.
The leader of the SDLP, Mr Gerry Fitt who, with other Opposition MPs, rushed from a Stormont debate to the riot scene earlier in the day, said: ‘From reports we have had from hundreds of people in the New Lodge Road district, I am convinced that during the disturbances many soldiers from the regiment shouted to men, women and children: “You have got three of ours. Now we’re going to get you”.’
Mr Fitt said this was an obvious reference to the tragic death of three Scottish soldiers recently in Ligoniel.
‘This regiment now seems to believe that the people of the New Lodge Road were in some way connected.
‘Sections of the regiment were out to take revenge on innocent people.’
The party called for the immediate withdrawal of the regiment from the Dock constituency and an inquiry into what had taken place.
Police said that fourteen adults arrested during the trouble would be appearing in court this morning on charges of disorderly behaviour, riotous behaviour and assault.
One woman arrested was the mother of Mr William Reid, the 32 year old IRA officer, shot dead in a gun battle with a Royal Highland Fusiliers patrol last weekend. Mr Reid was buried with IRA honours on Wednesday.
Yesterday’s trouble was sparked off after several Catholic girl employees left the Gallaher tobacco works in York Street because they had been intimidated, assaulted and locked in a toilet around lunch hour.
A crowd later gathered outside the works. There were scuffles and stone-throwing. The disturbances spread to the New Lodge Road.
Here, stones and bottles were used and troops made baton charges. Snatch squads made eighteen arrests. Four soldiers were hurt.
Fermanagh MP Freed from Jail
THE 28 year old MP for Fermanagh- South Tyrone at Westminster, Mr Frank McManus, who has been serving a six months sentence in Armagh, has been released.
He had been jailed for taking part in a banned civil rights march at Enniskillen in November last.
Last night about 800 people packed the Town Hall in Enniskillen to greet Mr McManus on his arrival home.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: This period saw recurring rioting in the New Lodge area between local people and Scottish troops.
The first British soldier, Gunner Robert Curtis had been shot dead In the district in February while three Scots soldiers had been murdered by the Provisional IRA in March 1971.)
On This Day – 22nd May 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710522
Reference Date
19710522
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 22nd May 1971, riots erupted in Belfast’s New Lodge area amid accusations against Scottish troops while civil rights MP Frank McManus was released from jail. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
New Lodge Riots | On This Day – 22nd May 1971
LAST night, in the aftermath of the rioting in Belfast’s New Lodge Road area, angry Opposition MPs expressed bitter criticism of the Army’s role and claimed that sections of the Royal Highland Fusiliers ran amok through the civilian population.
The leader of the SDLP, Mr Gerry Fitt who, with other Opposition MPs, rushed from a Stormont debate to the riot scene earlier in the day, said: ‘From reports we have had from hundreds of people in the New Lodge Road district, I am convinced that during the disturbances many soldiers from the regiment shouted to men, women and children: “You have got three of ours. Now we’re going to get you”.’
Mr Fitt said this was an obvious reference to the tragic death of three Scottish soldiers recently in Ligoniel.
‘This regiment now seems to believe that the people of the New Lodge Road were in some way connected.
‘Sections of the regiment were out to take revenge on innocent people.’
The party called for the immediate withdrawal of the regiment from the Dock constituency and an inquiry into what had taken place.
Police said that fourteen adults arrested during the trouble would be appearing in court this morning on charges of disorderly behaviour, riotous behaviour and assault.
One woman arrested was the mother of Mr William Reid, the 32 year old IRA officer, shot dead in a gun battle with a Royal Highland Fusiliers patrol last weekend. Mr Reid was buried with IRA honours on Wednesday.
Yesterday’s trouble was sparked off after several Catholic girl employees left the Gallaher tobacco works in York Street because they had been intimidated, assaulted and locked in a toilet around lunch hour.
A crowd later gathered outside the works. There were scuffles and stone-throwing. The disturbances spread to the New Lodge Road.
Here, stones and bottles were used and troops made baton charges. Snatch squads made eighteen arrests. Four soldiers were hurt.
Fermanagh MP Freed from Jail
THE 28 year old MP for Fermanagh- South Tyrone at Westminster, Mr Frank McManus, who has been serving a six months sentence in Armagh, has been released.
He had been jailed for taking part in a banned civil rights march at Enniskillen in November last.
Last night about 800 people packed the Town Hall in Enniskillen to greet Mr McManus on his arrival home.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: This period saw recurring rioting in the New Lodge area between local people and Scottish troops.
The first British soldier, Gunner Robert Curtis had been shot dead In the district in February while three Scots soldiers had been murdered by the Provisional IRA in March 1971.)
On This Day – 22nd May 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710522
Reference Date
May 22, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 22nd May 1971, riots erupted in Belfast’s New Lodge area amid accusations against Scottish troops while civil rights MP Frank McManus was released from jail. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
New Lodge Riots | On This Day – 22nd May 1971
LAST night, in the aftermath of the rioting in Belfast’s New Lodge Road area, angry Opposition MPs expressed bitter criticism of the Army’s role and claimed that sections of the Royal Highland Fusiliers ran amok through the civilian population.
The leader of the SDLP, Mr Gerry Fitt who, with other Opposition MPs, rushed from a Stormont debate to the riot scene earlier in the day, said: ‘From reports we have had from hundreds of people in the New Lodge Road district, I am convinced that during the disturbances many soldiers from the regiment shouted to men, women and children: “You have got three of ours. Now we’re going to get you”.’
Mr Fitt said this was an obvious reference to the tragic death of three Scottish soldiers recently in Ligoniel.
‘This regiment now seems to believe that the people of the New Lodge Road were in some way connected.
‘Sections of the regiment were out to take revenge on innocent people.’
The party called for the immediate withdrawal of the regiment from the Dock constituency and an inquiry into what had taken place.
Police said that fourteen adults arrested during the trouble would be appearing in court this morning on charges of disorderly behaviour, riotous behaviour and assault.
One woman arrested was the mother of Mr William Reid, the 32 year old IRA officer, shot dead in a gun battle with a Royal Highland Fusiliers patrol last weekend. Mr Reid was buried with IRA honours on Wednesday.
Yesterday’s trouble was sparked off after several Catholic girl employees left the Gallaher tobacco works in York Street because they had been intimidated, assaulted and locked in a toilet around lunch hour.
A crowd later gathered outside the works. There were scuffles and stone-throwing. The disturbances spread to the New Lodge Road.
Here, stones and bottles were used and troops made baton charges. Snatch squads made eighteen arrests. Four soldiers were hurt.
Fermanagh MP Freed from Jail
THE 28 year old MP for Fermanagh- South Tyrone at Westminster, Mr Frank McManus, who has been serving a six months sentence in Armagh, has been released.
He had been jailed for taking part in a banned civil rights march at Enniskillen in November last.
Last night about 800 people packed the Town Hall in Enniskillen to greet Mr McManus on his arrival home.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: This period saw recurring rioting in the New Lodge area between local people and Scottish troops.
The first British soldier, Gunner Robert Curtis had been shot dead In the district in February while three Scots soldiers had been murdered by the Provisional IRA in March 1971.)
On This Day – 22nd May 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.