On This Day / December 29, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201229
Reference Date
19201229
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 29th December 1920, Enniskillen leaders expressed indifference towards the new Specials after sectarian violence, while Crown force raids in Fermanagh, Galway and Tipperary left civilians dead and communities shaken. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Fermanagh Town ‘Indifferent to Specials’ | On This Day – 29th December 1920
AT a meeting in Enniskillen in connection with the formation of the Fermanagh ‘Special Constabulary’, Mr John Collum, HML, who presided, expressed surprise at so small an attendance from the loyal town of Enniskillen.
He said it was most unfair that the poor country labourer and the working man in the town should be asked to protect the shopkeepers in Enniskillen.
The shopkeepers were the men who had a stake in the country and stood to lose, and yet they did not seem to care or bother their heads whether their property was destroyed or not.
Sir Basil Brooke, County Commandant, said he did not think much of the loyalty of Enniskillen or the wish of the people for law and order when they did not even come out to hear the scheme explained.
He said he was extremely sorry for certain events that had happened on the occasion of the departure of some of the men (the ‘Special Constables’) for Newtownards.
It was regrettable that certain things were said and he would like it to be made known that he altogether dissociated himself from the conduct of the men. The force was non-political and non-religious, and open to all loyal men.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Clearly the violent and sectarian behaviour of Specials who had fired shots at St Michael’s Catholic Church in Enniskillen on a recent route march did little to recommend the force to local Unionist businessmen.
Alarmed at IRA attacks in Fermanagh in 1920, Basil Brooke, a local landlord and ex-soldier, had launched a Loyalist vigilante force which later merged with the Specials.
Brooke’s public apology for the misbehaviour of his men stands in sharp contrast to his later sectarian reputation as a Stormont Minister and later, Prime Minister (1943-63).)
Civilians Shot on Island by Crown Forces
TWO men were killed and three wounded and seven arrested on Sunday in a police and military raid in boats on the Aran Islands, County Galway, reported for some time to be a refuge for wanted men. The islands were surrounded and searched.
Two civilians named Michael Walton and Patrick Connors were shot dead on Sunday afternoon on the roadside near Nenagh, County Tipperary.
The details of the tragedy are meagre but it appears the two were walking along the road at the same time.
A party of the Crown Forces were carrying out some raids in the vicinity and some of them challenged the two young men, calling upon them to halt.
Walton and Connors, however, either did not hear or failed to obey the challenge and the troops fired on them. Both were killed.
On This Day – 29th December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201229
Reference Date
19201229
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 29th December 1920, Enniskillen leaders expressed indifference towards the new Specials after sectarian violence, while Crown force raids in Fermanagh, Galway and Tipperary left civilians dead and communities shaken. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Fermanagh Town ‘Indifferent to Specials’ | On This Day – 29th December 1920
AT a meeting in Enniskillen in connection with the formation of the Fermanagh ‘Special Constabulary’, Mr John Collum, HML, who presided, expressed surprise at so small an attendance from the loyal town of Enniskillen.
He said it was most unfair that the poor country labourer and the working man in the town should be asked to protect the shopkeepers in Enniskillen.
The shopkeepers were the men who had a stake in the country and stood to lose, and yet they did not seem to care or bother their heads whether their property was destroyed or not.
Sir Basil Brooke, County Commandant, said he did not think much of the loyalty of Enniskillen or the wish of the people for law and order when they did not even come out to hear the scheme explained.
He said he was extremely sorry for certain events that had happened on the occasion of the departure of some of the men (the ‘Special Constables’) for Newtownards.
It was regrettable that certain things were said and he would like it to be made known that he altogether dissociated himself from the conduct of the men. The force was non-political and non-religious, and open to all loyal men.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Clearly the violent and sectarian behaviour of Specials who had fired shots at St Michael’s Catholic Church in Enniskillen on a recent route march did little to recommend the force to local Unionist businessmen.
Alarmed at IRA attacks in Fermanagh in 1920, Basil Brooke, a local landlord and ex-soldier, had launched a Loyalist vigilante force which later merged with the Specials.
Brooke’s public apology for the misbehaviour of his men stands in sharp contrast to his later sectarian reputation as a Stormont Minister and later, Prime Minister (1943-63).)
Civilians Shot on Island by Crown Forces
TWO men were killed and three wounded and seven arrested on Sunday in a police and military raid in boats on the Aran Islands, County Galway, reported for some time to be a refuge for wanted men. The islands were surrounded and searched.
Two civilians named Michael Walton and Patrick Connors were shot dead on Sunday afternoon on the roadside near Nenagh, County Tipperary.
The details of the tragedy are meagre but it appears the two were walking along the road at the same time.
A party of the Crown Forces were carrying out some raids in the vicinity and some of them challenged the two young men, calling upon them to halt.
Walton and Connors, however, either did not hear or failed to obey the challenge and the troops fired on them. Both were killed.
On This Day – 29th December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201229
Reference Date
December 29, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 29th December 1920, Enniskillen leaders expressed indifference towards the new Specials after sectarian violence, while Crown force raids in Fermanagh, Galway and Tipperary left civilians dead and communities shaken. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Fermanagh Town ‘Indifferent to Specials’ | On This Day – 29th December 1920
AT a meeting in Enniskillen in connection with the formation of the Fermanagh ‘Special Constabulary’, Mr John Collum, HML, who presided, expressed surprise at so small an attendance from the loyal town of Enniskillen.
He said it was most unfair that the poor country labourer and the working man in the town should be asked to protect the shopkeepers in Enniskillen.
The shopkeepers were the men who had a stake in the country and stood to lose, and yet they did not seem to care or bother their heads whether their property was destroyed or not.
Sir Basil Brooke, County Commandant, said he did not think much of the loyalty of Enniskillen or the wish of the people for law and order when they did not even come out to hear the scheme explained.
He said he was extremely sorry for certain events that had happened on the occasion of the departure of some of the men (the ‘Special Constables’) for Newtownards.
It was regrettable that certain things were said and he would like it to be made known that he altogether dissociated himself from the conduct of the men. The force was non-political and non-religious, and open to all loyal men.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Clearly the violent and sectarian behaviour of Specials who had fired shots at St Michael’s Catholic Church in Enniskillen on a recent route march did little to recommend the force to local Unionist businessmen.
Alarmed at IRA attacks in Fermanagh in 1920, Basil Brooke, a local landlord and ex-soldier, had launched a Loyalist vigilante force which later merged with the Specials.
Brooke’s public apology for the misbehaviour of his men stands in sharp contrast to his later sectarian reputation as a Stormont Minister and later, Prime Minister (1943-63).)
Civilians Shot on Island by Crown Forces
TWO men were killed and three wounded and seven arrested on Sunday in a police and military raid in boats on the Aran Islands, County Galway, reported for some time to be a refuge for wanted men. The islands were surrounded and searched.
Two civilians named Michael Walton and Patrick Connors were shot dead on Sunday afternoon on the roadside near Nenagh, County Tipperary.
The details of the tragedy are meagre but it appears the two were walking along the road at the same time.
A party of the Crown Forces were carrying out some raids in the vicinity and some of them challenged the two young men, calling upon them to halt.
Walton and Connors, however, either did not hear or failed to obey the challenge and the troops fired on them. Both were killed.
On This Day – 29th December 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.