On This Day / September 22, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
September 22, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 22nd September 1921, representatives from County Derry brought their opposition to partition directly to Éamon de Valera, while a Belfast man faced charges involving stolen revolvers. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Special’s Stolen Guns | On This Day – 22nd September 1921
IN BELFAST Custody Court yesterday, Mr James Roche, RM, presiding, Francis Doran, Mount Street, was charged with taking into his possession six Webley revolvers, the property of the Commandant of the Belfast Specials, knowing them to have been stolen.
Mr Graham – I ask that bail be allowed.
-District Inspector Lynn – I oppose bail in this case when there is so much shooting and
– Mr Graham – District Inspector Lynn opposes bail when he sees the magistrates shaking their heads negatively at me.
The man in the dock declares his absolute innocence of the charge against him. The allegation against him of receiving the revolvers – stolen property – he denies.
South Derry Deputation to President
THE publicity department of Dáil Eireann issued the following statement: Today at 3 p.m. a deputation from South County Derry waited upon President de Valera at the Mansion House, Dublin.
The deputation consisted of Mr George Leeke [Nationalist MR Derry]; Mr John Walsh, CC [Maghera] and Louis Smyth, chairman Magherafelt Board of Guardians.
Mr George Leeke, in introducing the deputation stated that, although he himself belonged to a party which did not entirely believe in the Sinn Fein policy, he was no less opposed to the partition of his country than were the other members of the deputation.
[Councillor] Michael Lynch stated: ‘As a representatives from North Derry, we claim with South Derry and Derry City that the partition of any part of our country would only lead to the perpetuation of internal strife and obstruct that unity and peace which we all desire…’
President de Valera, replying, said: ‘It is well that the world should be made aware of… this attempt to partition our nation against the express will of our people.’
Anti-Belfast Boycott Campaign
COPIES of a notice based somewhat on the lines of the declaration which has to be signed by applicants for work at the shipyards were served yesterday on shopkeepers in various parts of the city, especially in York Street.
The document, headed: ‘AntiBelfast Boycott’ and signed, ‘Belfast Watch Committee’, purports to pledge those who display it in their shop windows to cease purchasing goods or material from any firm in Ireland outside North-East Ulster and not to resume such dealings until the boycott of Belfast is removed….’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: IN THE run-up to the 1921 Treaty negotiations a stream of nationalist deputations from every part of the North met President de Valera to protest against partition.
Despite the president’s assurances, Sinn Fein had failed to grapple with the Ulster Question and would subordinate it to independence at the subsequent Conference.)
On This Day – 22nd September 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.