On This Day / January 29, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210129
Reference Date
19210129
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 29th January 1921, a court rejected a compensation claim for the killing of a young man at Bannfoot Ferry, ruling his death did not arise from an illegal assembly, despite conflicting witness accounts. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Bannfoot Murder Recalled | On This Day – 29th January 1921
AT LURGAN Quarter Sessions yesterday, before Judge Green, KO, Francis McNeece claimed £800 compensation for the murder of his son, Francis McNeece, alleged to have taken place in the course of an illegal assembly at Bannfoot Ferry, Co. Armagh on 15th August last, Mr Cecil Lavery, BL appeared for the applicant.
James Vallely, Annaghmore, said he had been in the Army and was familiar with rifles.
He was with a party which visited Lurgan Sports on the 15th August last. They left Lurgan in four motorcars about six.
When they arrived at the Bannfoot Ferry, the ferryman was there and the first car was put on board and they went over.
Just as they had got the motorcar up the bank, rifle firing started. It came from the back of a house on the other side of the ferry and was in volleys. There were five or six rifles firing.
There were six men in the car and witness said: ‘Get in behind the ditch.’ They all got behind the ditch with the exception of McNeece who lay down in the back of the car.
When they got back to the car they found McNeece [was shot]. Gavin McNeece said he was in the first car. No person in the car had firearms that he knew of.
Mr McNeece, father of the deceased, said he owned a farm of 25 acres and deceased (22) did the principal work.
Mr J Davison, BL submitted that there was no evidence of any unlawful assembly.
He would call witnesses who would tell the Judge that these men were shouting and waving flags and there were cries of ‘Up Sinn Fein’ and ‘Up the Rebels’, creating a great disturbance.
Rev James Smith, rector of Ardmore, said he was coming from a service on his bicycle. The first car attempted to run him down. There was a Sinn Fein flag flying from it.
John Wilson, the ferryman, said the occupants of the cars were shouting, ‘Up the rebels’ but he didn’t care so long as he got them over.
A volley of shots rang out from a boat. He was certain that it was those on the boat who were firing.
Judge Green – I am not prepared to find that there was an illegal assembly as a result of which this man came to his death. Therefore, I can’t give compensation.
I have great sympathy with the man who has lost his son but I must act in accordance with the law.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Local nationalists blamed the UVF – soon to become the Specials – for the young man’s death)
On This Day – 29th January 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210129
Reference Date
19210129
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 29th January 1921, a court rejected a compensation claim for the killing of a young man at Bannfoot Ferry, ruling his death did not arise from an illegal assembly, despite conflicting witness accounts. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Bannfoot Murder Recalled | On This Day – 29th January 1921
AT LURGAN Quarter Sessions yesterday, before Judge Green, KO, Francis McNeece claimed £800 compensation for the murder of his son, Francis McNeece, alleged to have taken place in the course of an illegal assembly at Bannfoot Ferry, Co. Armagh on 15th August last, Mr Cecil Lavery, BL appeared for the applicant.
James Vallely, Annaghmore, said he had been in the Army and was familiar with rifles.
He was with a party which visited Lurgan Sports on the 15th August last. They left Lurgan in four motorcars about six.
When they arrived at the Bannfoot Ferry, the ferryman was there and the first car was put on board and they went over.
Just as they had got the motorcar up the bank, rifle firing started. It came from the back of a house on the other side of the ferry and was in volleys. There were five or six rifles firing.
There were six men in the car and witness said: ‘Get in behind the ditch.’ They all got behind the ditch with the exception of McNeece who lay down in the back of the car.
When they got back to the car they found McNeece [was shot]. Gavin McNeece said he was in the first car. No person in the car had firearms that he knew of.
Mr McNeece, father of the deceased, said he owned a farm of 25 acres and deceased (22) did the principal work.
Mr J Davison, BL submitted that there was no evidence of any unlawful assembly.
He would call witnesses who would tell the Judge that these men were shouting and waving flags and there were cries of ‘Up Sinn Fein’ and ‘Up the Rebels’, creating a great disturbance.
Rev James Smith, rector of Ardmore, said he was coming from a service on his bicycle. The first car attempted to run him down. There was a Sinn Fein flag flying from it.
John Wilson, the ferryman, said the occupants of the cars were shouting, ‘Up the rebels’ but he didn’t care so long as he got them over.
A volley of shots rang out from a boat. He was certain that it was those on the boat who were firing.
Judge Green – I am not prepared to find that there was an illegal assembly as a result of which this man came to his death. Therefore, I can’t give compensation.
I have great sympathy with the man who has lost his son but I must act in accordance with the law.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Local nationalists blamed the UVF – soon to become the Specials – for the young man’s death)
On This Day – 29th January 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210129
Reference Date
January 29, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 29th January 1921, a court rejected a compensation claim for the killing of a young man at Bannfoot Ferry, ruling his death did not arise from an illegal assembly, despite conflicting witness accounts. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Bannfoot Murder Recalled | On This Day – 29th January 1921
AT LURGAN Quarter Sessions yesterday, before Judge Green, KO, Francis McNeece claimed £800 compensation for the murder of his son, Francis McNeece, alleged to have taken place in the course of an illegal assembly at Bannfoot Ferry, Co. Armagh on 15th August last, Mr Cecil Lavery, BL appeared for the applicant.
James Vallely, Annaghmore, said he had been in the Army and was familiar with rifles.
He was with a party which visited Lurgan Sports on the 15th August last. They left Lurgan in four motorcars about six.
When they arrived at the Bannfoot Ferry, the ferryman was there and the first car was put on board and they went over.
Just as they had got the motorcar up the bank, rifle firing started. It came from the back of a house on the other side of the ferry and was in volleys. There were five or six rifles firing.
There were six men in the car and witness said: ‘Get in behind the ditch.’ They all got behind the ditch with the exception of McNeece who lay down in the back of the car.
When they got back to the car they found McNeece [was shot]. Gavin McNeece said he was in the first car. No person in the car had firearms that he knew of.
Mr McNeece, father of the deceased, said he owned a farm of 25 acres and deceased (22) did the principal work.
Mr J Davison, BL submitted that there was no evidence of any unlawful assembly.
He would call witnesses who would tell the Judge that these men were shouting and waving flags and there were cries of ‘Up Sinn Fein’ and ‘Up the Rebels’, creating a great disturbance.
Rev James Smith, rector of Ardmore, said he was coming from a service on his bicycle. The first car attempted to run him down. There was a Sinn Fein flag flying from it.
John Wilson, the ferryman, said the occupants of the cars were shouting, ‘Up the rebels’ but he didn’t care so long as he got them over.
A volley of shots rang out from a boat. He was certain that it was those on the boat who were firing.
Judge Green – I am not prepared to find that there was an illegal assembly as a result of which this man came to his death. Therefore, I can’t give compensation.
I have great sympathy with the man who has lost his son but I must act in accordance with the law.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Local nationalists blamed the UVF – soon to become the Specials – for the young man’s death)
On This Day – 29th January 1921
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.