On This Day / September 2, 1921

Summary: On This Day – 2nd September 1921, troops restored relative calm to Belfast after a week of violence that had claimed 17 lives, while the IRA’s Eoin O’Duffy warned the situation remained dangerous. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.

Troops Restore Peace | On This Day – 2nd September 1921

BELFAST was quiet yesterday and only two unpleasant incidents occurred to mar the otherwise peaceful condition of affairs that prevailed from early morning to Curfew hour.

Military pickets were stationed at points all along the affected areas while military and police lorries toured the districts.

Further detachments of military, including Scottish regiments, arrived. With the death of Walter Campbell (16), shot in Brown Square, a total of 17 persons were killed in this week’s outbreak.

While Catholic workers were proceeding to Gallaher’s tobacco factory in York Street shortly before 8 a.m., a large mob of Orangemen attacked them near Grove Street.

Shots were fired at workers, the majority of whom were women and girls, but, fortunately, no one was injured. Many of the poor people were unable to reach the factory and had to return home.

IRA Chief Blames ‘Orange Mobs’

COMMANDER O’Duffy, Liaison Officer for the Northern Counties and, as such, formally recognised by the British Government, states: ‘The situation in Belfast is far from satisfactory.

Sniping is going on in various parts of the city. The military are on the streets but results show that they are not in sufficient numbers in the disturbed areas to be effective.

It is quite patent that the Orange mobs are very little concerned with the presence of the military…

The IRA are rigidly adhering to my order – “Cease Fire” – and are at present entirely engaged in intelligence work. At any moment it may be necessary to call them into action again.’

Death of Belfast Entrepreneur

THE death of Mr John Robb, chairman of the old established and progressive firm of Messrs John Robb and Co., general drapers and warehousemen, Castle Place, removes an outstanding personality in the business life of Belfast.

The eldest son of the late Mr John Robb, founder of the great firm, Mr Robb was educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution and entered the business which his father had established in 1857.

Devoting himself entirely to commerce, Mr Robb took no part in public affairs but confined his energies to the development of the firm as well as the Grand Central Hotel.

By his employees he was always looked upon not only as a model employer, but as a friend, always ready and willing to help them in every way.

(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: As James Craig’s fledgling government was still denied control over law and order by Whitehall, the Dublin Castle authorities decide to deploy troops on the streets in strength.

This quickly quenched the violence which was widely viewed in the British press as an organised sectarian attack on the city’s Catholic minority.)

 

On This Day – 2nd September 1921

Further Reading on Irish History:

List of other On This Day columns

Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive

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