On This Day / September 9, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
September 9, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 9th September 1921, representatives from South and East Down met Éamon de Valera and the Dáil Cabinet to voice their determined opposition to partition. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Northerners Meet Dev | On This Day – 9th September 1921
A DEPUTATION, representing the majority of the electorate and comprising chairmen and other members of the public bodies of South and East Down, waited upon President de Valera and the Dáil Cabinet today and laid before them a memorial protesting against any attempt to exclude these areas from the jurisdiction of a government for all Ireland.
Mr Patrick O’Neill, elected [Nationalist] representative for the county, read the following memorial:
A meeting of elected representatives in County Down was held at Castlewellan on Sunday last when it was unanimously decided that steps be taken to voice on behalf of the electorate their unalterable opposition to the partitioning of Ireland.
Speaking on behalf of the electorate of the area referred to, the representatives pledged themselves to use all means to effectively resist the attempt of the British Government to coerce them into a separate administration from the rest of Ireland.
The meeting decided to wait upon you, sir, and your Cabinet for the purpose of bringing to your knowledge the resolve of our people.’
Mr O’Neill told President de Valera: ‘As far as reason can be attributed to the framers of this monstrosity [the 1920 Act], it would seem that they claim to carve out a territory, the inhabitants of which were homogeneous in race, religion and political thought.
[However] they have perpetrated an injustice against the people of the area we represent which we trust neither you nor the people of Ireland will consent to.
We draw your attention to the map of our country and to the two constituencies of East and South Down.
These form a tract of territory extending from Strangford Lough to Carlingford Lough and adjoin the Counties of Armagh and Louth.
With one inconsiderable exception [Newcastle urban district] every local governing body in the area has a majority opposed to the partitioning of our country.’
The remonstrance is signed by Henry McGrath, chairman, Downpatrick Rural District Council; Thomas McAleenan, chairman, Kilkeel RDC; Patrick Bradley, chairman, Newry Number One RDC; Patrick Murney, chairman, Kilkeel Board of Guardians; John McMahon, chairman, Downpatrick Board of Guardians; Newry Board of Guardians; Warrenpoint UDC; Patrick O’Neill, MP; Joseph Connellan, Newry Urban Council.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: The prospect of negotiations raised nationalist hopes and unionist fears in the north.
The late summer of 1921 witnessed a stream of northern antipartitionist deputations to President de Valera and his Cabinet colleagues In Dublin, stressing the determination of the nationalist majority areas to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Dáil.
De Valera was cautious In his replies, merely assuring them that their concerns would be ‘kept in mind’ by Sinn Féin.)
On This Day – 9th September 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.