On This Day / November 27, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201127
Reference Date
19201127
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 27th November 1920, tensions in Banbridge flared as the newly appointed stationmaster, accused of Sinn Féin sympathies, was kidnapped and warned off returning. In Drogheda, a magistrate condemned Black and Tans as “worse than Bolsheviks”, while leading Sinn Féin figures Arthur Griffith and Eoin MacNeill (Derry) were arrested. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Stationmaster Kidnapped | On This Day – 27th November 1920
ABOUT a month ago, Mr W J Stewart, stationmaster at Lenaderg Station, Banbridge died leaving a widow and four young children. About a fortnight ago a man named Ryan who was, it appears, stationmaster at Ballyhaise Station, County Cavan was appointed to fill the vacancy created by Mr Stewart’s death.
Our correspondent, on visiting Lenaderg, was informed that considerable feeling existed over the appointment of Mr Ryan who is supposed to have Sinn Féin tendencies. It was further stated that one of his sons, [a signalman at Ballyhaise], had been in trouble through refusing to deal with a military train.
The unpopularity of the appointment led to a notice warning Ryan to clear out of the job within 24 hours. This had a startling sequel when early on Wednesday night a number of strangers arrived by motorcar at Lenaderg Station with revolvers drawn and immediately kidnapped and removed him to an unknown destination.
It transpired later that his captors brought Ryan to Dromore where he was handed a ten shilling note and warned not to return to Lenaderg or Banbridge. Ryan subsequently reported the matter to police at Dromore.
‘Black and Tans Worse than Bolsheviks’
AT A special court in Drogheda yesterday at which two Black and Tans were charged with the larceny of two bicycles from McCullen’s public house, District Inspector Egan said the police were anxious to have these fellows properly punished. Fellows like the accused would not be allowed to come into town and disgrace their uniform.
There is a lot of very bad boys in Gormanstown Camp, he said, and we want to weed them out as quickly as possible. We intend to ‘roast’ these fellows if we can.
If the accused were returned for trial at the Assizes, the Assize judge would probably sympathise with them and listen to a plausible story of having served in the Great War and having come over to take part in the war in Ireland.
However, the local people and Magistrates know what they are suffering at the hands of these blackguards. He would like to see them getting six months.
Mr Robinson, RM said he was quite in sympathy with the DI’s attitude. The accused were returned to trial at the Winter Assizes.
Sinn Féin Leaders Arrested
MR Arthur Griffith was arrested by Auxiliary Police at his home in Clontarf yesterday morning. Professor John [Eoin] MacNeill,[Sinn Féin] MP for Derry City and his son were also arrested.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Ironically, Arthur Griffith, Acting-President of the Republic had been in touch with Lloyd George through an intermediary on the possibility of a Truce when Bloody Sunday occurred.)
On This Day – 27th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201127
Reference Date
19201127
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 27th November 1920, tensions in Banbridge flared as the newly appointed stationmaster, accused of Sinn Féin sympathies, was kidnapped and warned off returning. In Drogheda, a magistrate condemned Black and Tans as “worse than Bolsheviks”, while leading Sinn Féin figures Arthur Griffith and Eoin MacNeill (Derry) were arrested. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Stationmaster Kidnapped | On This Day – 27th November 1920
ABOUT a month ago, Mr W J Stewart, stationmaster at Lenaderg Station, Banbridge died leaving a widow and four young children. About a fortnight ago a man named Ryan who was, it appears, stationmaster at Ballyhaise Station, County Cavan was appointed to fill the vacancy created by Mr Stewart’s death.
Our correspondent, on visiting Lenaderg, was informed that considerable feeling existed over the appointment of Mr Ryan who is supposed to have Sinn Féin tendencies. It was further stated that one of his sons, [a signalman at Ballyhaise], had been in trouble through refusing to deal with a military train.
The unpopularity of the appointment led to a notice warning Ryan to clear out of the job within 24 hours. This had a startling sequel when early on Wednesday night a number of strangers arrived by motorcar at Lenaderg Station with revolvers drawn and immediately kidnapped and removed him to an unknown destination.
It transpired later that his captors brought Ryan to Dromore where he was handed a ten shilling note and warned not to return to Lenaderg or Banbridge. Ryan subsequently reported the matter to police at Dromore.
‘Black and Tans Worse than Bolsheviks’
AT A special court in Drogheda yesterday at which two Black and Tans were charged with the larceny of two bicycles from McCullen’s public house, District Inspector Egan said the police were anxious to have these fellows properly punished. Fellows like the accused would not be allowed to come into town and disgrace their uniform.
There is a lot of very bad boys in Gormanstown Camp, he said, and we want to weed them out as quickly as possible. We intend to ‘roast’ these fellows if we can.
If the accused were returned for trial at the Assizes, the Assize judge would probably sympathise with them and listen to a plausible story of having served in the Great War and having come over to take part in the war in Ireland.
However, the local people and Magistrates know what they are suffering at the hands of these blackguards. He would like to see them getting six months.
Mr Robinson, RM said he was quite in sympathy with the DI’s attitude. The accused were returned to trial at the Winter Assizes.
Sinn Féin Leaders Arrested
MR Arthur Griffith was arrested by Auxiliary Police at his home in Clontarf yesterday morning. Professor John [Eoin] MacNeill,[Sinn Féin] MP for Derry City and his son were also arrested.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Ironically, Arthur Griffith, Acting-President of the Republic had been in touch with Lloyd George through an intermediary on the possibility of a Truce when Bloody Sunday occurred.)
On This Day – 27th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201127
Reference Date
November 27, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 27th November 1920, tensions in Banbridge flared as the newly appointed stationmaster, accused of Sinn Féin sympathies, was kidnapped and warned off returning. In Drogheda, a magistrate condemned Black and Tans as “worse than Bolsheviks”, while leading Sinn Féin figures Arthur Griffith and Eoin MacNeill (Derry) were arrested. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Stationmaster Kidnapped | On This Day – 27th November 1920
ABOUT a month ago, Mr W J Stewart, stationmaster at Lenaderg Station, Banbridge died leaving a widow and four young children. About a fortnight ago a man named Ryan who was, it appears, stationmaster at Ballyhaise Station, County Cavan was appointed to fill the vacancy created by Mr Stewart’s death.
Our correspondent, on visiting Lenaderg, was informed that considerable feeling existed over the appointment of Mr Ryan who is supposed to have Sinn Féin tendencies. It was further stated that one of his sons, [a signalman at Ballyhaise], had been in trouble through refusing to deal with a military train.
The unpopularity of the appointment led to a notice warning Ryan to clear out of the job within 24 hours. This had a startling sequel when early on Wednesday night a number of strangers arrived by motorcar at Lenaderg Station with revolvers drawn and immediately kidnapped and removed him to an unknown destination.
It transpired later that his captors brought Ryan to Dromore where he was handed a ten shilling note and warned not to return to Lenaderg or Banbridge. Ryan subsequently reported the matter to police at Dromore.
‘Black and Tans Worse than Bolsheviks’
AT A special court in Drogheda yesterday at which two Black and Tans were charged with the larceny of two bicycles from McCullen’s public house, District Inspector Egan said the police were anxious to have these fellows properly punished. Fellows like the accused would not be allowed to come into town and disgrace their uniform.
There is a lot of very bad boys in Gormanstown Camp, he said, and we want to weed them out as quickly as possible. We intend to ‘roast’ these fellows if we can.
If the accused were returned for trial at the Assizes, the Assize judge would probably sympathise with them and listen to a plausible story of having served in the Great War and having come over to take part in the war in Ireland.
However, the local people and Magistrates know what they are suffering at the hands of these blackguards. He would like to see them getting six months.
Mr Robinson, RM said he was quite in sympathy with the DI’s attitude. The accused were returned to trial at the Winter Assizes.
Sinn Féin Leaders Arrested
MR Arthur Griffith was arrested by Auxiliary Police at his home in Clontarf yesterday morning. Professor John [Eoin] MacNeill,[Sinn Féin] MP for Derry City and his son were also arrested.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Ironically, Arthur Griffith, Acting-President of the Republic had been in touch with Lloyd George through an intermediary on the possibility of a Truce when Bloody Sunday occurred.)
On This Day – 27th November 1920
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.