On This Day / October 23, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
October 23, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 23rd October 1971, students at Queen’s University prevented troops from arresting Official Sinn Féin president Tomas MacGiolla, while Senator Edward Kennedy called for British withdrawal and Irish reunification. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Comedy at Queen’s! | On This Day – 23rd October 1971
MR TOMAS MacGiolla (45), president of [Official] Sinn Fein, was a prisoner in Queen’s University Students Union early today after a bid by troops to arrest him had failed.
The Students Union was barricaded by 200 students who refused to leave without Mr MacGiolla being guaranteed safe passage across the border.
Meanwhile Government officials in Belfast and Dublin were alerted about the situation.
The Sinn Fein leader took part in a debate on the Common Market in the McMordie Hall while Special Branch and Army intelligence officers waited in the darkness of the Union car park beside the Sinn Fein president’s car.
The debate was cut short before 11 pm when some students reported that the front rear side tyre of Mr MacGiolla’s car had been deflated and that soldiers were waiting in the car park.
Standing Orders were suspended to allow Mr MacGiolla to leave. The trio left the Union by a rear door surrounded by about 100 students.
As they walked to the car troops with rifles at the ready moved forward. A plain clothed man tried to reach across the crowd to touch Mr MacGiolla but he was unable to do so.
Then the car, surrounded by students, began to move forward. Troops blocked its path. A plain clothes man said: ‘We are going to take him’ and the troops moved forward.
Mr MacGiolla left the car and was hustled by a student bodyguard towards the Union door.
Meanwhile police reinforcements took up position at the front of the block and soldiers kept a searchlight trained on the roof where several students had taken up guard positions.
Taylor Furious at Fiasco
THE Minister of State at Home Affairs, Mr John Taylor said he strongly condemned the security forces being prevented by students from questioning the Sinn Fein [Official] president in Belfast.
Rev Ian Paisley said handling of the matter made a laughing stock of security in Belfast.
Senator Kennedy on Reunification
SENATOR Edward Kennedy yesterday called for the immediate withdrawal of British troops from NI which, he said, was becoming ‘Britain’s Vietnam’ and urged the establishment of a united Ireland.
Such action was the only way to end violence in the Six Counties, he told the US Senate.
A similar measure was introduced in the House of Representatives by Mr Hugh Carey (Democrat).
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: THE ‘siege’ of the QUB Students’ Union afforded a bit of light relief amidst the unremitting cycle of violence.
MacGiolla’s safe passage to the border was eventually arranged. For his part, in a strongly nationalist speech, Senator Edward Kennedy coined a new phrase for the conflict – ‘Britain’s Vietnam’.)
On This Day – 23rd October 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.