On This Day / April 8, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210408
Reference Date
19210408
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 8th April 1921, three men were shot dead in Dromore, County Tyrone, amid reprisals and fear, as violence escalated along the emerging border. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Terror in Tyrone | On This Day – 8th April 1921
ON WEDNESDAY night and the early hours of yesterday morning scenes of a shocking character took place in Dromore, County Tyrone resulting in three residents – all young men – being shot dead.
The district is in a state of terror and many of the Catholic inhabitants have left their homes, fearing further revolting tragedies.
Last Saturday night the doors of houses were kicked and several people threatened by – it is alleged -Crown forces.
On Tuesday night a great sensation was caused by the explosion of a bomb, wounding a Special Constable.
At a late hour on Wednesday (according to villagers) a volley of shots was discharged following the arrival of armed men in motor conveyances.
A party of armed men first made their way to the residence of a man named O’Brien where they inquired for a man named Edmond Gallagher.
They called on Gallagher to come outside. O’Brien was not interfered with and Gallagher, it is said, escaped out of a rear window.
The party, still discharging shots, proceeded to the house of Mrs O’Doherty whose son and daughter were wounded during a recent disturbance in the village.
Charles Slevin, a neighbour, and Daniel O’Doherty were taken out and brought away. The party then went to the residence of John Devine whom they took into custody.
Some residents went to the police barracks to make inquiries about the missing men. The police said they knew nothing about them.
By this time the armed party had disappeared and the relatives formed themselves into a search party.
While they were engaged a dog belonging to Devine was noticed wailing piteously on the roadside. The dog led them to the body of John Devine lying in a pool of blood.
His sister saw that her brother had been brutally done to death and was further horrified when she noticed that alongside the corpse of her brother lay the dead bodies of Daniel O’Doherty and Charles Slevin. Devine had apparently been shot through the head.
RIC Ambush Victim’s Funeral
THE funeral of Head Constable Mulrooney, killed in an ambush in Lucan [County Dublin] took place yesterday from his former residence at Gainsborough Drive, Belfast to Holywood.
The deceased officer was one of the best known members of the Belfast Detective Force and was held in high esteem.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: ‘The Dromore murders’ had all the appearances of a reprisal by the USC for recent IRA attacks on police in the county.
The IRA was clearly attempting to disrupt the imminent partition of Ireland which the 30,000 Ulster Specials were being deployed to enforce along the new land border.)
On This Day – 8th April 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210408
Reference Date
19210408
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 8th April 1921, three men were shot dead in Dromore, County Tyrone, amid reprisals and fear, as violence escalated along the emerging border. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Terror in Tyrone | On This Day – 8th April 1921
ON WEDNESDAY night and the early hours of yesterday morning scenes of a shocking character took place in Dromore, County Tyrone resulting in three residents – all young men – being shot dead.
The district is in a state of terror and many of the Catholic inhabitants have left their homes, fearing further revolting tragedies.
Last Saturday night the doors of houses were kicked and several people threatened by – it is alleged -Crown forces.
On Tuesday night a great sensation was caused by the explosion of a bomb, wounding a Special Constable.
At a late hour on Wednesday (according to villagers) a volley of shots was discharged following the arrival of armed men in motor conveyances.
A party of armed men first made their way to the residence of a man named O’Brien where they inquired for a man named Edmond Gallagher.
They called on Gallagher to come outside. O’Brien was not interfered with and Gallagher, it is said, escaped out of a rear window.
The party, still discharging shots, proceeded to the house of Mrs O’Doherty whose son and daughter were wounded during a recent disturbance in the village.
Charles Slevin, a neighbour, and Daniel O’Doherty were taken out and brought away. The party then went to the residence of John Devine whom they took into custody.
Some residents went to the police barracks to make inquiries about the missing men. The police said they knew nothing about them.
By this time the armed party had disappeared and the relatives formed themselves into a search party.
While they were engaged a dog belonging to Devine was noticed wailing piteously on the roadside. The dog led them to the body of John Devine lying in a pool of blood.
His sister saw that her brother had been brutally done to death and was further horrified when she noticed that alongside the corpse of her brother lay the dead bodies of Daniel O’Doherty and Charles Slevin. Devine had apparently been shot through the head.
RIC Ambush Victim’s Funeral
THE funeral of Head Constable Mulrooney, killed in an ambush in Lucan [County Dublin] took place yesterday from his former residence at Gainsborough Drive, Belfast to Holywood.
The deceased officer was one of the best known members of the Belfast Detective Force and was held in high esteem.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: ‘The Dromore murders’ had all the appearances of a reprisal by the USC for recent IRA attacks on police in the county.
The IRA was clearly attempting to disrupt the imminent partition of Ireland which the 30,000 Ulster Specials were being deployed to enforce along the new land border.)
On This Day – 8th April 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210408
Reference Date
April 8, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 8th April 1921, three men were shot dead in Dromore, County Tyrone, amid reprisals and fear, as violence escalated along the emerging border. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Terror in Tyrone | On This Day – 8th April 1921
ON WEDNESDAY night and the early hours of yesterday morning scenes of a shocking character took place in Dromore, County Tyrone resulting in three residents – all young men – being shot dead.
The district is in a state of terror and many of the Catholic inhabitants have left their homes, fearing further revolting tragedies.
Last Saturday night the doors of houses were kicked and several people threatened by – it is alleged -Crown forces.
On Tuesday night a great sensation was caused by the explosion of a bomb, wounding a Special Constable.
At a late hour on Wednesday (according to villagers) a volley of shots was discharged following the arrival of armed men in motor conveyances.
A party of armed men first made their way to the residence of a man named O’Brien where they inquired for a man named Edmond Gallagher.
They called on Gallagher to come outside. O’Brien was not interfered with and Gallagher, it is said, escaped out of a rear window.
The party, still discharging shots, proceeded to the house of Mrs O’Doherty whose son and daughter were wounded during a recent disturbance in the village.
Charles Slevin, a neighbour, and Daniel O’Doherty were taken out and brought away. The party then went to the residence of John Devine whom they took into custody.
Some residents went to the police barracks to make inquiries about the missing men. The police said they knew nothing about them.
By this time the armed party had disappeared and the relatives formed themselves into a search party.
While they were engaged a dog belonging to Devine was noticed wailing piteously on the roadside. The dog led them to the body of John Devine lying in a pool of blood.
His sister saw that her brother had been brutally done to death and was further horrified when she noticed that alongside the corpse of her brother lay the dead bodies of Daniel O’Doherty and Charles Slevin. Devine had apparently been shot through the head.
RIC Ambush Victim’s Funeral
THE funeral of Head Constable Mulrooney, killed in an ambush in Lucan [County Dublin] took place yesterday from his former residence at Gainsborough Drive, Belfast to Holywood.
The deceased officer was one of the best known members of the Belfast Detective Force and was held in high esteem.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: ‘The Dromore murders’ had all the appearances of a reprisal by the USC for recent IRA attacks on police in the county.
The IRA was clearly attempting to disrupt the imminent partition of Ireland which the 30,000 Ulster Specials were being deployed to enforce along the new land border.)
On This Day – 8th April 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.