On This Day / August 24, 1920

Mobs Avenge DI’s Murder

On Sunday afternoon, a few minutes after one o’clock when returning from service in Christchurch Cathedral, Lisburn, District Inspector Oswald Swanzy was shot dead.

The street was crowded at the time and the assailants of the DI made their escape in a taxi-cab. A Belfast taxi-cab driver was subsequently detained by police.

Almost immediately afterwards mobs of people pursued a systematic course of burning, wrecking and looting, directed against both business-houses and private residences belonging to Catholics.

Eight houses were burnt out and the furniture and contents consumed in flames on the streets. Mr McKeever, Bridge Street and Mr William Shaw [local Sinn Féin Councillor] were removed to the County Infirmary, the former suffering from a bullet wound and the latter from the effects of a beating by the crowd.

The tragic event, which preceded scenes of mob violence and destruction unprecedented in the history of Lisburn, occurred in broad daylight and before the eyes of large numbers of people.

It appears that as Mr Swanzy was turning the corner into Railway Street [from the Cathedral] four men suddenly dashed at him and fired several shots at him at close range.

The late District Inspector was a son of the late Mr James Swanzy of Castleblayney [County Monaghan].

He was stationed in Cork when the late Lord Mayor of Cork, Alderman MacCurtain was murdered.

At the inquest a verdict of wilful murder was returned by a jury against a number of police officials, including DI Swanzy.

Our correspondent writes that following on the shooting crowds gathered and matters presented a very serious aspect which left the police absolutely powerless.

First Mrs Gilmore’s confectionery shop in Cross Row was attacked and a mad rush made through the premises seeking a son of the proprietress who was stated to be a Sinn Féiner.

No-one being found, the entire contents of the shop and dwelling were hurled into the street and burned to ashes. T

hen the licensed premises of Mr McKeever in Bridge Street were visited. After barrels of liquor received attention, the furniture was thrown out on the street and burned.

During this operation two shots were heard and Mr McKeever received a bullet wound in his right breast. The crowd then burned the Hibernian Hall.

[Dr Phoenix notes: The assassination of DI Swanzy was ordered by Michael Collins and executed by members of the Belfast and Cork IRA.

The result was, in the words of the RIC, ‘a crusade against the entire Catholic population’. Almost 300 homes were burned.

Inspecting the smouldering ‘Priest’s House’, the ex-UVF gun-runner Major Fred Crawford compared Lisburn to ‘a French town… bombarded by the Germans’.]