On This Day / November 6, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201106
Reference Date
19201106
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 6th November 1920, controversy in Omagh after a school closure in honour of Terence MacSwiney, while Wing Commander John Dunville was appointed to lead the new Special Constabulary. A Sean McEoin-led IRA ambush at Ballinalee was revealed to have claimed 17 Black and Tans. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Omagh Row Over MacSwiney | On This Day – 6th November 1920
A SPECIAL meeting of the County Tyrone Technical Instruction Committee was held in Dungannon yesterday evening to consider the action of Mr J J Mullowney, vice-principal of Omagh Technical School in closing the building on 27th October as a mark of respect on the death of the Lord Mayor of Cork.
Mr James Dickson, DL presided and the County Director reported that on that day he received a telegram from Mr Mullowney which read: ‘Catholic population of Omagh want schools closed today as mark of respect to Lord Mayor.’
The vice-principal was told that he had no power to close the school.
The County Director read the following letter which he had received from Mr Mullowney: ‘ I intended to follow your advice and carry out your orders [to keep the School open] but I was accosted on the street and ordered by the IRA not to have any classes. I acted on that order …’
In discussion Mr Bingham moved that Mr Mullowney might to act as a teacher but that Mr Walmsley should be appointed vice-principal in his place. The motion was passed.
The chairman said the Committee had acted with leniency. Mr Mullowney could have been dismissed for the offence.
The work of technical education in Tyrone had been carried out successfully for the past seventeen years without religious or sectarian interference and politics or religion should not be allowed to interfere in the working of the school.
Balloonist To Head Specials
WE ARE asked officially to announce that Wing Commander John Dunville, DL of Redburn, Holywood has accepted the appointment of Commandant of the Special Constabulary.
Commander Dunville, who was one of the pioneer balloonists, joined the Naval Air Service as Flight Lieutenant in 1915.
It is expected that the UVF in Belfast will enlist practically en masse.
‘Tans’ Killed In Battle
A PRESS representative, describing the battle between civilians and uniformed men in the village of Ballinalee, County Longford, says: The military and the Black and Tans in nine lorries were returning to Longford from Granard, which they had just sacked.
“They had to pass through the village of Ballinalee. Descending from the lorries in the village, they attempted to set fire to a house at 2 a.m.
“The visit was anticipated and, from concealed positions, fire was opened up on the military and Black and Tans who returned the fire. A report claims that seventeen Black and Tans were killed.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA ambush was led by Sean McEoin (1893-1973), the ‘blacksmith of Ballinalee’.
He was later sentenced to death but freed during the truce of 1921.)
On This Day – 6th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201106
Reference Date
19201106
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 6th November 1920, controversy in Omagh after a school closure in honour of Terence MacSwiney, while Wing Commander John Dunville was appointed to lead the new Special Constabulary. A Sean McEoin-led IRA ambush at Ballinalee was revealed to have claimed 17 Black and Tans. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Omagh Row Over MacSwiney | On This Day – 6th November 1920
A SPECIAL meeting of the County Tyrone Technical Instruction Committee was held in Dungannon yesterday evening to consider the action of Mr J J Mullowney, vice-principal of Omagh Technical School in closing the building on 27th October as a mark of respect on the death of the Lord Mayor of Cork.
Mr James Dickson, DL presided and the County Director reported that on that day he received a telegram from Mr Mullowney which read: ‘Catholic population of Omagh want schools closed today as mark of respect to Lord Mayor.’
The vice-principal was told that he had no power to close the school.
The County Director read the following letter which he had received from Mr Mullowney: ‘ I intended to follow your advice and carry out your orders [to keep the School open] but I was accosted on the street and ordered by the IRA not to have any classes. I acted on that order …’
In discussion Mr Bingham moved that Mr Mullowney might to act as a teacher but that Mr Walmsley should be appointed vice-principal in his place. The motion was passed.
The chairman said the Committee had acted with leniency. Mr Mullowney could have been dismissed for the offence.
The work of technical education in Tyrone had been carried out successfully for the past seventeen years without religious or sectarian interference and politics or religion should not be allowed to interfere in the working of the school.
Balloonist To Head Specials
WE ARE asked officially to announce that Wing Commander John Dunville, DL of Redburn, Holywood has accepted the appointment of Commandant of the Special Constabulary.
Commander Dunville, who was one of the pioneer balloonists, joined the Naval Air Service as Flight Lieutenant in 1915.
It is expected that the UVF in Belfast will enlist practically en masse.
‘Tans’ Killed In Battle
A PRESS representative, describing the battle between civilians and uniformed men in the village of Ballinalee, County Longford, says: The military and the Black and Tans in nine lorries were returning to Longford from Granard, which they had just sacked.
“They had to pass through the village of Ballinalee. Descending from the lorries in the village, they attempted to set fire to a house at 2 a.m.
“The visit was anticipated and, from concealed positions, fire was opened up on the military and Black and Tans who returned the fire. A report claims that seventeen Black and Tans were killed.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA ambush was led by Sean McEoin (1893-1973), the ‘blacksmith of Ballinalee’.
He was later sentenced to death but freed during the truce of 1921.)
On This Day – 6th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201106
Reference Date
November 6, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 6th November 1920, controversy in Omagh after a school closure in honour of Terence MacSwiney, while Wing Commander John Dunville was appointed to lead the new Special Constabulary. A Sean McEoin-led IRA ambush at Ballinalee was revealed to have claimed 17 Black and Tans. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Omagh Row Over MacSwiney | On This Day – 6th November 1920
A SPECIAL meeting of the County Tyrone Technical Instruction Committee was held in Dungannon yesterday evening to consider the action of Mr J J Mullowney, vice-principal of Omagh Technical School in closing the building on 27th October as a mark of respect on the death of the Lord Mayor of Cork.
Mr James Dickson, DL presided and the County Director reported that on that day he received a telegram from Mr Mullowney which read: ‘Catholic population of Omagh want schools closed today as mark of respect to Lord Mayor.’
The vice-principal was told that he had no power to close the school.
The County Director read the following letter which he had received from Mr Mullowney: ‘ I intended to follow your advice and carry out your orders [to keep the School open] but I was accosted on the street and ordered by the IRA not to have any classes. I acted on that order …’
In discussion Mr Bingham moved that Mr Mullowney might to act as a teacher but that Mr Walmsley should be appointed vice-principal in his place. The motion was passed.
The chairman said the Committee had acted with leniency. Mr Mullowney could have been dismissed for the offence.
The work of technical education in Tyrone had been carried out successfully for the past seventeen years without religious or sectarian interference and politics or religion should not be allowed to interfere in the working of the school.
Balloonist To Head Specials
WE ARE asked officially to announce that Wing Commander John Dunville, DL of Redburn, Holywood has accepted the appointment of Commandant of the Special Constabulary.
Commander Dunville, who was one of the pioneer balloonists, joined the Naval Air Service as Flight Lieutenant in 1915.
It is expected that the UVF in Belfast will enlist practically en masse.
‘Tans’ Killed In Battle
A PRESS representative, describing the battle between civilians and uniformed men in the village of Ballinalee, County Longford, says: The military and the Black and Tans in nine lorries were returning to Longford from Granard, which they had just sacked.
“They had to pass through the village of Ballinalee. Descending from the lorries in the village, they attempted to set fire to a house at 2 a.m.
“The visit was anticipated and, from concealed positions, fire was opened up on the military and Black and Tans who returned the fire. A report claims that seventeen Black and Tans were killed.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA ambush was led by Sean McEoin (1893-1973), the ‘blacksmith of Ballinalee’.
He was later sentenced to death but freed during the truce of 1921.)
On This Day – 6th 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.