On This Day / October 23, 1920

Summary: On This Day – 23rd October 1920, Tyrone County Council vowed to resist partition ‘even with our lives’ as Lloyd George pressed ahead with his plan, while the Special Constabulary was formally unveiled. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.

Tyrone against partition | On This Day – 23rd October 1920

AT A meeting of Tyrone County Council, Mr A E Donnelly [Sinn Féin solicitor] presiding, Mr T J S Harbison [Nationalist MP, NE Tyrone and solicitor] tabled a resolution.

It was a matter which concerned all of them in the counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh and Derry city in particular. The resolution stated:

‘In view of the expressed determination of the British Government to press through the Partition of Ireland Bill which proposes to sever the counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh the city of Derry from the rest of Ireland against the… will of the people of these constituencies by overwhelming majorities we, the County Council of Tyrone hereby declare that if the Government at Westminster persists in forcing the people of these constituencies into a Parliament in Belfast … we declare our determination to resist – even with our lives, the operation of such a tyrannous and outrageous law which seeks to place our people under the heel of our political opponents, supported by arms supplied by the [British] Government …’

Mr Harbison said not a single Nationalist in Tyrone or in Ulster would consent to the partition of any part of their country. Despite Unionist objections, the chairman accepted the resolution. Mr O’Hanrahan [Sinn Fein solicitor] seconded. His allegiance was given to the Republic of Ireland and not to the British Parliament.

All the Nationalists present (13) voted for the resolution and all the Unionists (10) against.

Plans for ‘Specials’ unveiled

THE Press Association states that the new Special Constabulary for the whole of Ireland is to be divided into three classes – Class A, consisting of whole-time men with ten shillings daily and full RIC uniform.

The other two classes, B and C, are for occasional and emergency duty. The second class of Special is Class B which entails occasional duty in an area convenient to the member’s home. Caps and armlets will be provided but arms and equipment will be determined by the authorities. Class C is a reserve.

(Editor’s note: During the 1921 Treaty negotiations, Lloyd George was conscious of his government’s weakness on the subjugation of Tyrone and Fermanagh to unionist rule without a plebiscite.

His defence was that the Redmondites had accepted the ‘six county acreage’ in the abortive 1916 talks with Carson. Thus Redmond’s controversial concession had come back to haunt the northern nationalists.

In all of these crucial developments from partition to the establishment of the sectarian USC, the nationalist minority were cast in the role of outsiders looking in; such had the change in the balance of power at Westminster adversely impacted their fortunes since 1914.)

On This Day – 23rd October 1920

Further Reading on Irish History:

List of other On This Day columns

Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive