On This Day / August 28, 1920

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Reproduced with permission from The Irish News.

19200828

Reference Date

19200828

Publication Date

East Belfast Aflame

Disturbances on a serious and widespread scale were renewed in Belfast yesterday evening with the Ballymacarrett district again being the centre of the worst commotion.

There were wild scenes in the Newtownards Road, further burnings, wreckings and lootings and affairs culminated in the road being swept by machine-gun and rifle fire last night.

Yesterday’s disturbance appears to have originated in and around Foundry Street, a thoroughfare leading from the Newtownards Road. Here gangs of men, including shipyard workers, congregated and made a general onslaught, volleys of stones being directed towards Seaforde Street while houses of individual Catholics were attacked and wrecked.

Military were brought to the scene and a Lewis gun came into operation but it did not appear to have any very deterrent effect on the mob.

 

Swanzy Murder – Arrests

Mr J Roche, RM held a special sitting in the Belfast Custody Court yesterday when John Leonard, a taxi driver of Bedeque Street, and John Montgomery and James J Montgomery of Rosapenna Street were charged with having killed District Inspector Swanzy in Lisburn.

 

RIC Man Killed in Tyrone

NEWS reached Omagh yesterday morning of a determined attack on the police barracks at Drumquin, seven miles distant.

The occupants of a car rushed towards the barracks where Constable Monelly was standing at the door.

He attempted to stop them and was immediately shot with a revolver. He died in hospital later.

[Dr Phoenix notes: The vicious sectarian violence in Belfast would mark the bloody birth-pangs of partition until late 1922. At the same time, the War of Independence would see IRA attacks and assassinations and British reprisals across the country, including the North where the Volunteers were reorganised by GHQ.

In ordering the murder of Swanzy, Collins showed scant regard for its likely impact on Lisburn’s Catholic minority population.]

19200828

Reference Date

19200828

Publication Date

East Belfast Aflame

Disturbances on a serious and widespread scale were renewed in Belfast yesterday evening with the Ballymacarrett district again being the centre of the worst commotion.

There were wild scenes in the Newtownards Road, further burnings, wreckings and lootings and affairs culminated in the road being swept by machine-gun and rifle fire last night.

Yesterday’s disturbance appears to have originated in and around Foundry Street, a thoroughfare leading from the Newtownards Road. Here gangs of men, including shipyard workers, congregated and made a general onslaught, volleys of stones being directed towards Seaforde Street while houses of individual Catholics were attacked and wrecked.

Military were brought to the scene and a Lewis gun came into operation but it did not appear to have any very deterrent effect on the mob.

 

Swanzy Murder – Arrests

Mr J Roche, RM held a special sitting in the Belfast Custody Court yesterday when John Leonard, a taxi driver of Bedeque Street, and John Montgomery and James J Montgomery of Rosapenna Street were charged with having killed District Inspector Swanzy in Lisburn.

 

RIC Man Killed in Tyrone

NEWS reached Omagh yesterday morning of a determined attack on the police barracks at Drumquin, seven miles distant.

The occupants of a car rushed towards the barracks where Constable Monelly was standing at the door.

He attempted to stop them and was immediately shot with a revolver. He died in hospital later.

[Dr Phoenix notes: The vicious sectarian violence in Belfast would mark the bloody birth-pangs of partition until late 1922. At the same time, the War of Independence would see IRA attacks and assassinations and British reprisals across the country, including the North where the Volunteers were reorganised by GHQ.

In ordering the murder of Swanzy, Collins showed scant regard for its likely impact on Lisburn’s Catholic minority population.]

19200828

Reference Date

August 28, 2020

Publication Date

East Belfast Aflame

Disturbances on a serious and widespread scale were renewed in Belfast yesterday evening with the Ballymacarrett district again being the centre of the worst commotion.

There were wild scenes in the Newtownards Road, further burnings, wreckings and lootings and affairs culminated in the road being swept by machine-gun and rifle fire last night.

Yesterday’s disturbance appears to have originated in and around Foundry Street, a thoroughfare leading from the Newtownards Road. Here gangs of men, including shipyard workers, congregated and made a general onslaught, volleys of stones being directed towards Seaforde Street while houses of individual Catholics were attacked and wrecked.

Military were brought to the scene and a Lewis gun came into operation but it did not appear to have any very deterrent effect on the mob.

 

Swanzy Murder – Arrests

Mr J Roche, RM held a special sitting in the Belfast Custody Court yesterday when John Leonard, a taxi driver of Bedeque Street, and John Montgomery and James J Montgomery of Rosapenna Street were charged with having killed District Inspector Swanzy in Lisburn.

 

RIC Man Killed in Tyrone

NEWS reached Omagh yesterday morning of a determined attack on the police barracks at Drumquin, seven miles distant.

The occupants of a car rushed towards the barracks where Constable Monelly was standing at the door.

He attempted to stop them and was immediately shot with a revolver. He died in hospital later.

[Dr Phoenix notes: The vicious sectarian violence in Belfast would mark the bloody birth-pangs of partition until late 1922. At the same time, the War of Independence would see IRA attacks and assassinations and British reprisals across the country, including the North where the Volunteers were reorganised by GHQ.

In ordering the murder of Swanzy, Collins showed scant regard for its likely impact on Lisburn’s Catholic minority population.]

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.

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* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.