On This Day / November 30, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201130
Reference Date
19201130
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 30th November 1920, Cardinal Logue issued a powerful Pastoral Letter condemning both the IRA killings of the morning and the Crown forces’ massacre at Croke Park, describing the latter as worse “if a balance were struck”. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister H.H. Asquith launched a blistering attack on Sir Hamar Greenwood. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Cardinal on Bloody Sunday | On This Day – 30th November 1920
An important Pastoral Letter from His Eminence Cardinal Logue was read at all Masses in the Archdiocese of Armagh yesterday. The Cardinal stated: ‘The tragedies of last Sunday have impressed me with a deep sense of sadness and a feeling akin to despair…
“I believe that every man and woman in Ireland who retains a spark of Christian feeling or even of the instincts of humanity deplores and condemns the deliberate cold-blooded murders of Sunday morning.
“No objects could excuse them… The perpetrators of such crimes are not real patriots but the enemies of our country…
‘I believe, moreover, that every right-thinking Christian equally deplores and condemns the general, indiscriminate massacre of innocent and inoffensive victims perpetrated by the forces of the Crown in Croke Park.
“If a balance were struck between the deeds of the morning and those of the evening, I believe it should be given against the forces of the Crown. They are bound by their office to protect, not to destroy the people…’
Ex-PM Lashes Greenwood
Speaking at Bradford, Mr H H Asquith [former PM], referring to Ireland, said that during the past two years things had gone from bad to worse there. Ireland had been given up to the worse excesses of civil war.
Sir Hamar Greenwood [Chief Secretary] had put the matter in this way: ‘Who is for Ireland and the Empire and who is for Ireland and the assassins?’
Striking the table with great vehemence, Mr Asquith said: ‘It is the most insulting rodomontade in history that ever proceeded from the mouth of any responsible minister. (Cheers.)
What is Sir Hamar Greenwood? – a man who had deserted the great Gladstone traditions – to say to Liberals that they were in sympathy with assassins? That was a foul and malignant calumny.
“It was not for a government who condoned reprisals and murder to criticise opponents in regard to this matter…’
Chief Secretaries and Ireland
Editorial: ‘What is Sir Hamar Greenwood?’ asked Mr Asquith yesterday. We understand the gentleman was born in Canada, that his father was a native of Wales, that he came to England in search of a job and is now Chief Secretary for Ireland and an upholder of Coercion, Reprisals and Partition.
“As a rule, [the Irish Chief Secretary] was a stranger and an enemy-ignorant of Irish history, Irish character and Irish wants. He was indifferent to Irish claims.…’.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The statements of the moderate Cardinal Logue – no defender of republican violence – and Asquith underline the searing impact which the events of Bloody Sunday and, particularly, the Croke Park massacre had on perceptions of the Irish conflict.)
On This Day – 30th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201130
Reference Date
19201130
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 30th November 1920, Cardinal Logue issued a powerful Pastoral Letter condemning both the IRA killings of the morning and the Crown forces’ massacre at Croke Park, describing the latter as worse “if a balance were struck”. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister H.H. Asquith launched a blistering attack on Sir Hamar Greenwood. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Cardinal on Bloody Sunday | On This Day – 30th November 1920
An important Pastoral Letter from His Eminence Cardinal Logue was read at all Masses in the Archdiocese of Armagh yesterday. The Cardinal stated: ‘The tragedies of last Sunday have impressed me with a deep sense of sadness and a feeling akin to despair…
“I believe that every man and woman in Ireland who retains a spark of Christian feeling or even of the instincts of humanity deplores and condemns the deliberate cold-blooded murders of Sunday morning.
“No objects could excuse them… The perpetrators of such crimes are not real patriots but the enemies of our country…
‘I believe, moreover, that every right-thinking Christian equally deplores and condemns the general, indiscriminate massacre of innocent and inoffensive victims perpetrated by the forces of the Crown in Croke Park.
“If a balance were struck between the deeds of the morning and those of the evening, I believe it should be given against the forces of the Crown. They are bound by their office to protect, not to destroy the people…’
Ex-PM Lashes Greenwood
Speaking at Bradford, Mr H H Asquith [former PM], referring to Ireland, said that during the past two years things had gone from bad to worse there. Ireland had been given up to the worse excesses of civil war.
Sir Hamar Greenwood [Chief Secretary] had put the matter in this way: ‘Who is for Ireland and the Empire and who is for Ireland and the assassins?’
Striking the table with great vehemence, Mr Asquith said: ‘It is the most insulting rodomontade in history that ever proceeded from the mouth of any responsible minister. (Cheers.)
What is Sir Hamar Greenwood? – a man who had deserted the great Gladstone traditions – to say to Liberals that they were in sympathy with assassins? That was a foul and malignant calumny.
“It was not for a government who condoned reprisals and murder to criticise opponents in regard to this matter…’
Chief Secretaries and Ireland
Editorial: ‘What is Sir Hamar Greenwood?’ asked Mr Asquith yesterday. We understand the gentleman was born in Canada, that his father was a native of Wales, that he came to England in search of a job and is now Chief Secretary for Ireland and an upholder of Coercion, Reprisals and Partition.
“As a rule, [the Irish Chief Secretary] was a stranger and an enemy-ignorant of Irish history, Irish character and Irish wants. He was indifferent to Irish claims.…’.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The statements of the moderate Cardinal Logue – no defender of republican violence – and Asquith underline the searing impact which the events of Bloody Sunday and, particularly, the Croke Park massacre had on perceptions of the Irish conflict.)
On This Day – 30th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201130
Reference Date
November 30, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 30th November 1920, Cardinal Logue issued a powerful Pastoral Letter condemning both the IRA killings of the morning and the Crown forces’ massacre at Croke Park, describing the latter as worse “if a balance were struck”. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister H.H. Asquith launched a blistering attack on Sir Hamar Greenwood. Edited by Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Cardinal on Bloody Sunday | On This Day – 30th November 1920
An important Pastoral Letter from His Eminence Cardinal Logue was read at all Masses in the Archdiocese of Armagh yesterday. The Cardinal stated: ‘The tragedies of last Sunday have impressed me with a deep sense of sadness and a feeling akin to despair…
“I believe that every man and woman in Ireland who retains a spark of Christian feeling or even of the instincts of humanity deplores and condemns the deliberate cold-blooded murders of Sunday morning.
“No objects could excuse them… The perpetrators of such crimes are not real patriots but the enemies of our country…
‘I believe, moreover, that every right-thinking Christian equally deplores and condemns the general, indiscriminate massacre of innocent and inoffensive victims perpetrated by the forces of the Crown in Croke Park.
“If a balance were struck between the deeds of the morning and those of the evening, I believe it should be given against the forces of the Crown. They are bound by their office to protect, not to destroy the people…’
Ex-PM Lashes Greenwood
Speaking at Bradford, Mr H H Asquith [former PM], referring to Ireland, said that during the past two years things had gone from bad to worse there. Ireland had been given up to the worse excesses of civil war.
Sir Hamar Greenwood [Chief Secretary] had put the matter in this way: ‘Who is for Ireland and the Empire and who is for Ireland and the assassins?’
Striking the table with great vehemence, Mr Asquith said: ‘It is the most insulting rodomontade in history that ever proceeded from the mouth of any responsible minister. (Cheers.)
What is Sir Hamar Greenwood? – a man who had deserted the great Gladstone traditions – to say to Liberals that they were in sympathy with assassins? That was a foul and malignant calumny.
“It was not for a government who condoned reprisals and murder to criticise opponents in regard to this matter…’
Chief Secretaries and Ireland
Editorial: ‘What is Sir Hamar Greenwood?’ asked Mr Asquith yesterday. We understand the gentleman was born in Canada, that his father was a native of Wales, that he came to England in search of a job and is now Chief Secretary for Ireland and an upholder of Coercion, Reprisals and Partition.
“As a rule, [the Irish Chief Secretary] was a stranger and an enemy-ignorant of Irish history, Irish character and Irish wants. He was indifferent to Irish claims.…’.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The statements of the moderate Cardinal Logue – no defender of republican violence – and Asquith underline the searing impact which the events of Bloody Sunday and, particularly, the Croke Park massacre had on perceptions of the Irish conflict.)
On This Day – 30th 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.