On This Day / December 3, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201203
Reference Date
19201203
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 3rd December 1920, Countess Markievicz faced court-martial in Dublin as Belfast saw renewed anti-Catholic shipyard attacks and crowds gathered for Sean O’Carroll’s republican funeral.
Countess on Trial | On This Day – 3rd December 1920
MADAME Markievicz, MP was tried General Courtmartial at the Royal Barracks, Dublin yesterday on a charge of conspiring on various dates between 1st January 1918 and 26th September 1920 with one Eamonn Martin and other persons unknown to organise, promote and encourage a certain organisation known as the Fianna Eireann which organisation was being conducted for arranging the perpetration of murders of members of his Majesty’s military and police forces and training of recruits for the Irish Volunteers.
When asked to plead, the prisoner replied that she did not recognise the court as it was not constituted legally, not being based on the authority and will of the people of Ireland but an armed force of enemies of the Irish Republic.
The accused began to converse with a number of her friends but a member of the court ordered her removal.
Madame Markievicz, rising and facing the President, asked: ‘Is this your English law? Why don’t you stand by your own law if you have the courage? I am only one woman against a dozen men.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: A member of the aristocratic Gore-Booth family of Lissadell, Co Sligo, Constance Markievicz 1868-1927) rejected her family to marry a Polish Count and embrace radical nationalism.
Seen as a heroic figure after her role in the Rising, she became Minister for Labour in the First Dáil.
With the Northern IRB leader, Bulmer Hobson, she founded the Fianna in 1909 as a training-ground for Republican guerrillas. She opposed the 1921 Treaty.)
Shooting in Shipyard
THE exact circumstances surrounding the shooting of a young man named John McCambridge at Queen’s Road, Belfast reveal a renewal of the campaign against unoffending Catholic workers.
When the pogrom commenced [in July 1920] there was an attempted ‘descent’ on the adjoining Iron and Steel works of Messrs McCausland but the Catholic employees succeeded in getting clear. Recently a few ventured to resume work.
There was no interference until Thursday last when another shipyard mob arrived and proceeded to brutally assault McCambridge and another Catholic employee.
One of the mob drew a revolver and fired at McCambridge, the bullet striking him in the ankle.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite two agreements between James Craig and Michael Collins in 1922, most of the 9,000 expelled workers were never reinstated.)
Republican Funeral
THE funeral of the late John [Sean] O’Carroll who met his death under tragic circumstances in Ardee, took place from his parents’ residence, Gibson Street [Falls Rd] to Milltown Cemetery, large crowds lining the route.
On This Day – 2nd December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201203
Reference Date
19201203
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 3rd December 1920, Countess Markievicz faced court-martial in Dublin as Belfast saw renewed anti-Catholic shipyard attacks and crowds gathered for Sean O’Carroll’s republican funeral.
Countess on Trial | On This Day – 3rd December 1920
MADAME Markievicz, MP was tried General Courtmartial at the Royal Barracks, Dublin yesterday on a charge of conspiring on various dates between 1st January 1918 and 26th September 1920 with one Eamonn Martin and other persons unknown to organise, promote and encourage a certain organisation known as the Fianna Eireann which organisation was being conducted for arranging the perpetration of murders of members of his Majesty’s military and police forces and training of recruits for the Irish Volunteers.
When asked to plead, the prisoner replied that she did not recognise the court as it was not constituted legally, not being based on the authority and will of the people of Ireland but an armed force of enemies of the Irish Republic.
The accused began to converse with a number of her friends but a member of the court ordered her removal.
Madame Markievicz, rising and facing the President, asked: ‘Is this your English law? Why don’t you stand by your own law if you have the courage? I am only one woman against a dozen men.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: A member of the aristocratic Gore-Booth family of Lissadell, Co Sligo, Constance Markievicz 1868-1927) rejected her family to marry a Polish Count and embrace radical nationalism.
Seen as a heroic figure after her role in the Rising, she became Minister for Labour in the First Dáil.
With the Northern IRB leader, Bulmer Hobson, she founded the Fianna in 1909 as a training-ground for Republican guerrillas. She opposed the 1921 Treaty.)
Shooting in Shipyard
THE exact circumstances surrounding the shooting of a young man named John McCambridge at Queen’s Road, Belfast reveal a renewal of the campaign against unoffending Catholic workers.
When the pogrom commenced [in July 1920] there was an attempted ‘descent’ on the adjoining Iron and Steel works of Messrs McCausland but the Catholic employees succeeded in getting clear. Recently a few ventured to resume work.
There was no interference until Thursday last when another shipyard mob arrived and proceeded to brutally assault McCambridge and another Catholic employee.
One of the mob drew a revolver and fired at McCambridge, the bullet striking him in the ankle.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite two agreements between James Craig and Michael Collins in 1922, most of the 9,000 expelled workers were never reinstated.)
Republican Funeral
THE funeral of the late John [Sean] O’Carroll who met his death under tragic circumstances in Ardee, took place from his parents’ residence, Gibson Street [Falls Rd] to Milltown Cemetery, large crowds lining the route.
On This Day – 2nd December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201203
Reference Date
December 3, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 3rd December 1920, Countess Markievicz faced court-martial in Dublin as Belfast saw renewed anti-Catholic shipyard attacks and crowds gathered for Sean O’Carroll’s republican funeral.
Countess on Trial | On This Day – 3rd December 1920
MADAME Markievicz, MP was tried General Courtmartial at the Royal Barracks, Dublin yesterday on a charge of conspiring on various dates between 1st January 1918 and 26th September 1920 with one Eamonn Martin and other persons unknown to organise, promote and encourage a certain organisation known as the Fianna Eireann which organisation was being conducted for arranging the perpetration of murders of members of his Majesty’s military and police forces and training of recruits for the Irish Volunteers.
When asked to plead, the prisoner replied that she did not recognise the court as it was not constituted legally, not being based on the authority and will of the people of Ireland but an armed force of enemies of the Irish Republic.
The accused began to converse with a number of her friends but a member of the court ordered her removal.
Madame Markievicz, rising and facing the President, asked: ‘Is this your English law? Why don’t you stand by your own law if you have the courage? I am only one woman against a dozen men.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: A member of the aristocratic Gore-Booth family of Lissadell, Co Sligo, Constance Markievicz 1868-1927) rejected her family to marry a Polish Count and embrace radical nationalism.
Seen as a heroic figure after her role in the Rising, she became Minister for Labour in the First Dáil.
With the Northern IRB leader, Bulmer Hobson, she founded the Fianna in 1909 as a training-ground for Republican guerrillas. She opposed the 1921 Treaty.)
Shooting in Shipyard
THE exact circumstances surrounding the shooting of a young man named John McCambridge at Queen’s Road, Belfast reveal a renewal of the campaign against unoffending Catholic workers.
When the pogrom commenced [in July 1920] there was an attempted ‘descent’ on the adjoining Iron and Steel works of Messrs McCausland but the Catholic employees succeeded in getting clear. Recently a few ventured to resume work.
There was no interference until Thursday last when another shipyard mob arrived and proceeded to brutally assault McCambridge and another Catholic employee.
One of the mob drew a revolver and fired at McCambridge, the bullet striking him in the ankle.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Despite two agreements between James Craig and Michael Collins in 1922, most of the 9,000 expelled workers were never reinstated.)
Republican Funeral
THE funeral of the late John [Sean] O’Carroll who met his death under tragic circumstances in Ardee, took place from his parents’ residence, Gibson Street [Falls Rd] to Milltown Cemetery, large crowds lining the route.
On This Day – 2nd 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.