On This Day / November 4, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201104
Reference Date
19201104
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 4th November 1920, reports of six RIC fatalities highlighted spiralling violence, as the Ulster Unionist Council urged loyalists to join the new Special Constabulary. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Six RIC victims | On This Day – 4th November 1920
SIR Hamar Greenwood [Chief Secretary for Ireland] told the House of Commons yesterday that fifteen policemen had been murdered or attacked during the weekend.
These included a patrol of a sergeant and three constables, ambushed at Killybegs [Donegal] with one constable wounded; District Inspector Kelleher, shot dead at Granard, County Longford; Sergeant Henry Cronin of Tullamore, Kings County, fatally wounded; a police patrol fired upon at Dungannon – one constable wounded; Constables Casely and Evans of Kilorglin, County Kerry, shot dead.
Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinck [Conservative] – Does not that point to the hopeless breakdown of your policy?
There was no reply.
‘Loyalists’ Urged to Join Specials
THE Ulster Unionist Council has approved the Government Proclamation calling upon all ‘well-disposed persons’ to join the ‘Specials’, adding: ‘As the Committee are of opinion that the Force will be effectual in maintaining law and order … they strongly recommend all loyalists to join’.
It is understood that all the recruits who have presented themselves have been Unionists.
The various battalions of the [prewar] UVF are arranging meetings for the purpose of taking steps to enrol members in the new force.
The Orange Lodges are summoning special meetings to deal with the matter and, in fact, all over the city there is in operation a recruiting campaign which for thoroughness was not equal even at the height of the Great War.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: As the Irish situation deteriorated, James Craig’s new Special Constabulary was busy enlisting recruits from the pre-war UVF, Unionist ex-soldiers and the Orange lodges.
The new force, which would swell to 32,000 men, placed law and order in the North in the hands of a purely sectarian militia.
Lloyd George (who approved the Specials) later compared them to Mussolini’s armed thugs, the Fascisti, observing: ‘You might as well arm the East End.’)
Greenwood’s Close Call
THERE was a lively incident in the Chamber after the House of Commons on Monday night. Sir Hamar Greenwood [chief secretary for Ireland], sitting on the Treasury Bench, called Lord Henry Bentinck a coward.
Lord Henry resented the attack and made for him but Major Barnes intervened.
Lord Henry put his hand on the Chief Secretary’s shoulder, exclaiming: ‘You called me a coward. You must apologise or fight!’
Sir Hamar suggested the dispute be settled by both withdrawing what they had said.
Lord Henry accepted this as an apology.
On This Day – 4th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201104
Reference Date
19201104
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 4th November 1920, reports of six RIC fatalities highlighted spiralling violence, as the Ulster Unionist Council urged loyalists to join the new Special Constabulary. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Six RIC victims | On This Day – 4th November 1920
SIR Hamar Greenwood [Chief Secretary for Ireland] told the House of Commons yesterday that fifteen policemen had been murdered or attacked during the weekend.
These included a patrol of a sergeant and three constables, ambushed at Killybegs [Donegal] with one constable wounded; District Inspector Kelleher, shot dead at Granard, County Longford; Sergeant Henry Cronin of Tullamore, Kings County, fatally wounded; a police patrol fired upon at Dungannon – one constable wounded; Constables Casely and Evans of Kilorglin, County Kerry, shot dead.
Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinck [Conservative] – Does not that point to the hopeless breakdown of your policy?
There was no reply.
‘Loyalists’ Urged to Join Specials
THE Ulster Unionist Council has approved the Government Proclamation calling upon all ‘well-disposed persons’ to join the ‘Specials’, adding: ‘As the Committee are of opinion that the Force will be effectual in maintaining law and order … they strongly recommend all loyalists to join’.
It is understood that all the recruits who have presented themselves have been Unionists.
The various battalions of the [prewar] UVF are arranging meetings for the purpose of taking steps to enrol members in the new force.
The Orange Lodges are summoning special meetings to deal with the matter and, in fact, all over the city there is in operation a recruiting campaign which for thoroughness was not equal even at the height of the Great War.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: As the Irish situation deteriorated, James Craig’s new Special Constabulary was busy enlisting recruits from the pre-war UVF, Unionist ex-soldiers and the Orange lodges.
The new force, which would swell to 32,000 men, placed law and order in the North in the hands of a purely sectarian militia.
Lloyd George (who approved the Specials) later compared them to Mussolini’s armed thugs, the Fascisti, observing: ‘You might as well arm the East End.’)
Greenwood’s Close Call
THERE was a lively incident in the Chamber after the House of Commons on Monday night. Sir Hamar Greenwood [chief secretary for Ireland], sitting on the Treasury Bench, called Lord Henry Bentinck a coward.
Lord Henry resented the attack and made for him but Major Barnes intervened.
Lord Henry put his hand on the Chief Secretary’s shoulder, exclaiming: ‘You called me a coward. You must apologise or fight!’
Sir Hamar suggested the dispute be settled by both withdrawing what they had said.
Lord Henry accepted this as an apology.
On This Day – 4th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201104
Reference Date
November 4, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 4th November 1920, reports of six RIC fatalities highlighted spiralling violence, as the Ulster Unionist Council urged loyalists to join the new Special Constabulary. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Six RIC victims | On This Day – 4th November 1920
SIR Hamar Greenwood [Chief Secretary for Ireland] told the House of Commons yesterday that fifteen policemen had been murdered or attacked during the weekend.
These included a patrol of a sergeant and three constables, ambushed at Killybegs [Donegal] with one constable wounded; District Inspector Kelleher, shot dead at Granard, County Longford; Sergeant Henry Cronin of Tullamore, Kings County, fatally wounded; a police patrol fired upon at Dungannon – one constable wounded; Constables Casely and Evans of Kilorglin, County Kerry, shot dead.
Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinck [Conservative] – Does not that point to the hopeless breakdown of your policy?
There was no reply.
‘Loyalists’ Urged to Join Specials
THE Ulster Unionist Council has approved the Government Proclamation calling upon all ‘well-disposed persons’ to join the ‘Specials’, adding: ‘As the Committee are of opinion that the Force will be effectual in maintaining law and order … they strongly recommend all loyalists to join’.
It is understood that all the recruits who have presented themselves have been Unionists.
The various battalions of the [prewar] UVF are arranging meetings for the purpose of taking steps to enrol members in the new force.
The Orange Lodges are summoning special meetings to deal with the matter and, in fact, all over the city there is in operation a recruiting campaign which for thoroughness was not equal even at the height of the Great War.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: As the Irish situation deteriorated, James Craig’s new Special Constabulary was busy enlisting recruits from the pre-war UVF, Unionist ex-soldiers and the Orange lodges.
The new force, which would swell to 32,000 men, placed law and order in the North in the hands of a purely sectarian militia.
Lloyd George (who approved the Specials) later compared them to Mussolini’s armed thugs, the Fascisti, observing: ‘You might as well arm the East End.’)
Greenwood’s Close Call
THERE was a lively incident in the Chamber after the House of Commons on Monday night. Sir Hamar Greenwood [chief secretary for Ireland], sitting on the Treasury Bench, called Lord Henry Bentinck a coward.
Lord Henry resented the attack and made for him but Major Barnes intervened.
Lord Henry put his hand on the Chief Secretary’s shoulder, exclaiming: ‘You called me a coward. You must apologise or fight!’
Sir Hamar suggested the dispute be settled by both withdrawing what they had said.
Lord Henry accepted this as an apology.
On This Day – 4th 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.