On This Day / May 31, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210531
Reference Date
19210531
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 31st May 1921, Joseph Devlin celebrated major election victories while Sinn Féin leaders secured seats in Ulster during the NI Partition elections. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Devlin’s Double Triumph | On This Day – 31st May 1921
NEVER in the history of electoral contests in the North has such interest been evinced in the result of the elections for West Belfast.
Not alone in the city but throughout the province, the Nationalists eagerly awaited the declaration of the poll, ever confident that Mr Joseph Devlin, MP would once more carry the national standard to victory.
Throughout yesterday afternoon, the Irish News office and the National Club in Berry Street were inundated with telephonic and telegraphic messages from all parts of Ulster asking for details and when the fact was made known that Mr Devlin had been returned for West Belfast and was certain of election for County Antrim, congratulatory messages poured in from all parts.
A huge crowd had assembled outside the Central Committee Rooms in Berry Street and when the result was made known a wild cheer was raised whilst the national colours were raised high and a throng joined in singing ‘A Nation Once Again’.
Mr Devlin, accompanied by a mighty concourse of supporters, made a tour of the Nationalist stronghold of West Belfast.
Headed by St Peter’s Brass and Reed Band, in their picturesque green costumes with silver mountings, the procession started from the National Club in Berry Street, the Clann Uladh national warpipe band in their Gaelic costumes following the brake in which were Mr Devlin and his conducting agents for West Belfast and County Antrim, Messrs Hugh Martin and T S McAllister, solicitor [Ballymena], Mr T J Condon [former Nationalist MP for Tipperary] and several ladies and gentlemen.
When the procession turned up Clonard Street it could not have numbered short of 25,000.
In Hamill Square [Devlin’s birthplace] Mr Devlin addressed a few words to his supporters: ‘Never were a people put to a more severe test than in this crisis.
‘Never did they respond so wholeheartedly. (Cheers.) We voted for the unity of our motherland and we won. West Belfast has never been false to Ireland.
‘She was never truer than she is today. We will go on defending the right, fighting for our principles, promoting peace with honour and ultimately succeeding…’
‘Scholar-Revolutionary’ Takes Derry Seat
THE counting of the votes in the Derry City and County contest was resumed in Coleraine Town Hall yesterday.
Sir Robert Anderson [Unionist] and Mr John [Eoin] McNeill [Sinn Féin] got the quota in the first count and were declared elected.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: ‘Wee Joe’s’ popularity was such that he was elected for both West Belfast and Co Antrim.
His fellow-Nationalist MPs, however, were a lacklustre lot while Eoin MacNeill, de Valera, Griffith and Collins were successful for Sinn Féin.)
On This Day – 31st May 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210531
Reference Date
19210531
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 31st May 1921, Joseph Devlin celebrated major election victories while Sinn Féin leaders secured seats in Ulster during the NI Partition elections. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Devlin’s Double Triumph | On This Day – 31st May 1921
NEVER in the history of electoral contests in the North has such interest been evinced in the result of the elections for West Belfast.
Not alone in the city but throughout the province, the Nationalists eagerly awaited the declaration of the poll, ever confident that Mr Joseph Devlin, MP would once more carry the national standard to victory.
Throughout yesterday afternoon, the Irish News office and the National Club in Berry Street were inundated with telephonic and telegraphic messages from all parts of Ulster asking for details and when the fact was made known that Mr Devlin had been returned for West Belfast and was certain of election for County Antrim, congratulatory messages poured in from all parts.
A huge crowd had assembled outside the Central Committee Rooms in Berry Street and when the result was made known a wild cheer was raised whilst the national colours were raised high and a throng joined in singing ‘A Nation Once Again’.
Mr Devlin, accompanied by a mighty concourse of supporters, made a tour of the Nationalist stronghold of West Belfast.
Headed by St Peter’s Brass and Reed Band, in their picturesque green costumes with silver mountings, the procession started from the National Club in Berry Street, the Clann Uladh national warpipe band in their Gaelic costumes following the brake in which were Mr Devlin and his conducting agents for West Belfast and County Antrim, Messrs Hugh Martin and T S McAllister, solicitor [Ballymena], Mr T J Condon [former Nationalist MP for Tipperary] and several ladies and gentlemen.
When the procession turned up Clonard Street it could not have numbered short of 25,000.
In Hamill Square [Devlin’s birthplace] Mr Devlin addressed a few words to his supporters: ‘Never were a people put to a more severe test than in this crisis.
‘Never did they respond so wholeheartedly. (Cheers.) We voted for the unity of our motherland and we won. West Belfast has never been false to Ireland.
‘She was never truer than she is today. We will go on defending the right, fighting for our principles, promoting peace with honour and ultimately succeeding…’
‘Scholar-Revolutionary’ Takes Derry Seat
THE counting of the votes in the Derry City and County contest was resumed in Coleraine Town Hall yesterday.
Sir Robert Anderson [Unionist] and Mr John [Eoin] McNeill [Sinn Féin] got the quota in the first count and were declared elected.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: ‘Wee Joe’s’ popularity was such that he was elected for both West Belfast and Co Antrim.
His fellow-Nationalist MPs, however, were a lacklustre lot while Eoin MacNeill, de Valera, Griffith and Collins were successful for Sinn Féin.)
On This Day – 31st May 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210531
Reference Date
May 31, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 31st May 1921, Joseph Devlin celebrated major election victories while Sinn Féin leaders secured seats in Ulster during the NI Partition elections. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Devlin’s Double Triumph | On This Day – 31st May 1921
NEVER in the history of electoral contests in the North has such interest been evinced in the result of the elections for West Belfast.
Not alone in the city but throughout the province, the Nationalists eagerly awaited the declaration of the poll, ever confident that Mr Joseph Devlin, MP would once more carry the national standard to victory.
Throughout yesterday afternoon, the Irish News office and the National Club in Berry Street were inundated with telephonic and telegraphic messages from all parts of Ulster asking for details and when the fact was made known that Mr Devlin had been returned for West Belfast and was certain of election for County Antrim, congratulatory messages poured in from all parts.
A huge crowd had assembled outside the Central Committee Rooms in Berry Street and when the result was made known a wild cheer was raised whilst the national colours were raised high and a throng joined in singing ‘A Nation Once Again’.
Mr Devlin, accompanied by a mighty concourse of supporters, made a tour of the Nationalist stronghold of West Belfast.
Headed by St Peter’s Brass and Reed Band, in their picturesque green costumes with silver mountings, the procession started from the National Club in Berry Street, the Clann Uladh national warpipe band in their Gaelic costumes following the brake in which were Mr Devlin and his conducting agents for West Belfast and County Antrim, Messrs Hugh Martin and T S McAllister, solicitor [Ballymena], Mr T J Condon [former Nationalist MP for Tipperary] and several ladies and gentlemen.
When the procession turned up Clonard Street it could not have numbered short of 25,000.
In Hamill Square [Devlin’s birthplace] Mr Devlin addressed a few words to his supporters: ‘Never were a people put to a more severe test than in this crisis.
‘Never did they respond so wholeheartedly. (Cheers.) We voted for the unity of our motherland and we won. West Belfast has never been false to Ireland.
‘She was never truer than she is today. We will go on defending the right, fighting for our principles, promoting peace with honour and ultimately succeeding…’
‘Scholar-Revolutionary’ Takes Derry Seat
THE counting of the votes in the Derry City and County contest was resumed in Coleraine Town Hall yesterday.
Sir Robert Anderson [Unionist] and Mr John [Eoin] McNeill [Sinn Féin] got the quota in the first count and were declared elected.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: ‘Wee Joe’s’ popularity was such that he was elected for both West Belfast and Co Antrim.
His fellow-Nationalist MPs, however, were a lacklustre lot while Eoin MacNeill, de Valera, Griffith and Collins were successful for Sinn Féin.)
On This Day – 31st May 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.