Killing of Swanzy and Belfast Riots
Introduction from Chronology
District Inspector Oswald Swanzy, RIC,
is shot by IRA on August 22nd just after he left Christ Church Cathedral,
Market Sq., Lisburn, Co Antrim. After the killing of Swanzy,
riots broke out in Lisburn, Bangor, Banbridge and Belfast.
Many people are killed the riots in Belfast. Parkinson says at
least 25 in a 5-day period and McDermott says 22 killed in late August violence
with approximately equal numbers of Catholics and Protestants. Putting all the
names mentioned in various sources together, especially those given in O’Halpin and Ó Corráin, it adds
up to 35 people killed or mortally wounded in Belfast between 25th August
and 1st September - 19 Protestants, 14 Catholics and 2 British Army
soldiers. Most are killed by Crown
Forces in their attempts to put down riots.
More Detail
1. Killing of Swanzy
Lawlor, in a
detailed account, says the assassination team consisted of Sean Culhane and
Dick Murphy from Cork, Roger McCorley and Tom Fox
(from Belfast) and Sean Leonard (the driver).
O’Halpin and Ó Corráin
say that Culhane (along with Dick Murphy) shot Swanzy
outside the Northern Bank as he made his way home from church. Parkinson (2020) says the assassination team
were Sean Culhane and Dick Murphy (who did the shooting) along with Roger McCorley and Joe McKelvey with Sean Leonard being the
driver. McDermott says the men involved were Sean Culhane and Dan (Sandow)
O’Donovan from Cork; Rodger McCorley and Tom Fox
(from Belfast) and Sean Leonard (as driver).
He also says that Joe McKelvey did intelligence work.
The Cork IRA suspected DI Swanzy of
being involved in the killing of Tomas MacCurtain –
see Mar-19-20/1. Collins had found out from RIC Sgt Matt McCarthy that Swanzy had been moved to Lisburn and sanctioned his
assassination. Sean Culhane used a gun which had been owned by MacCurtain.
However, according to Hart, Florrie O’Donoghue afterwards
expressed doubts on Swanzy’s guilt.
Joe – or Sean – Leonard is arrested and tried for the
killing. He is convicted of murder by a
military court and sentenced to death but it is later commuted to 12 years
penal servitude. He is released during
the Truce.
2. Ensuing
Riots
In the ensuing riots, MacArdle
says that 5,000 Catholics were driven out of Belfast and quotes Hugh Martin
(correspondent of the Daily News) as
saying about 1,000 Catholics were driven out of Lisburn
and Banbridge each and goes on to quote the following from Martin “this was no
mere faction fight, there can be no doubt that it was a deliberate and organised attempt to, not by any means the first in
history, to drive the Catholic Irish out of North-East Ulster”
The Irish News claims that
the rioters are organised by ultra-right forces.
Lawlor gives a detailed account of
the riots in Lisburn in the immediate aftermath of the killing of Swanzy. Five
Catholic-owned businesses were attacked and looted – a number of Catholic-owned
houses were also destroyed and “over twenty Catholics who received severe
beatings at the hands of the mobs on the streets of Lisburn” (Lawlor (2009), pg 118) had
to receive medical treatment. Parkinson says that at least 8 houses are burnt down in
Lisburn immediately after the killing and many Catholic families flee the town
(estimated that up to 1,000 Catholics fled Lisburn). Rioting resumed in
Lisburn on Monday 23rd with even more Catholic-owned businesses and
homes attacked – even Protestant-owned businesses were burnt down due to being
adjacent to Catholic-owned businesses set on fire by the loyalist mob. In the aftermath of Donaghy and Sons boot
factory being set on fire, a body was found in the debris but he could not be
identified. On Tuesday 24th,
there was further burning of Catholic-owned houses and businesses including the
parochial house. Attacks on Catholic
homes in Lisburn and district continued over the coming months.
There was also rioting
in Dromore on August 22nd with Catholic owned houses, businesses (including
an hotel) attacked and looted. As in Lisburn, many Catholic families
subsequently left Dromore.
From lunchtime onwards
on August 25th, there is widespread disturbances in the east of
Belfast. An attempt by a loyalist mob to
burn St Matthews RC church is prevented by the British Army. Two young Protestants – James McCartney and
Ethel Burrows – are killed by the BA and several others injured near Dee
St. The disturbances continue the following day with over 30 fires
reported and many petrol bomb attacks. Machine-gun fire is heard on the
Newtownards Road. Disturbances curtailed on August 27th due to
adverse weather conditions but start again on 28th when riots break
out between returning workers and residents of the Short Strand. The
military open fire resulting in many injuries – including Catholic Francis
McCann who later dies from his wounds. (O’Halpin
and Ó Corráin say that McCann was killed on the 26th.)
Also killed on the 28th was a Catholic labourer, Terence Burns (36
or 39).
On the following day (29th), there was intense rioting
and gunfire in the Catholic enclave of Marrowbone. A single burst from a
British army Hotchkiss machine gun resulted in the deaths of six Catholics and
one Protestant. The Catholics were:
Henry Kinney [or Kenny]; Thomas Toner; Owen Moan; John Murray; William Cassidy
and Charles O’Neill. The Protestant was Grace Orr. In the Townsend St. area in the west of the
city, the British army shoot dead two more Catholics Robert Lynch (17 or 20)
and Patrick Gilmore (25). (O’Halpin and Ó Corráin say that Lynch and Gilmore were shot on the 28th.)
On the morning of the 30th, Protestant workers are
attacked on trams as they make their way to work resulting in the death of
William Mullan who was a Protestant (and shot by an IRA gunman). British military shoot into a crowd and
resulting in the deaths of six Protestants who were Samuel Colville; John Coard; Adam McClean or McLean; John Thompson, Henry Hobson
and 11-year old Robert McAlpine who was reportedly
watching the rioting. In the Sandy Row area, the British army opened fire
on Protestant rioters resulting in the deaths of two more Protestants – Paul
Chapman and Robert Seymour.
August 31st sees loyalist gunmen kill Catholics Edward
Burns and Henry McCann. A Protestant teenager, James Mathers got a leg
would from which he later died and another Protestant, Frederick Saye was fatally wounded by a British army patrol.
Also, Pte James Jamieson of the British Army was accidentally shot dead while
patrolling on the Linfield Road. Another Britsh
soldier, Pte Charles Harold is wounded around this time and dies on the 4th
September. Also, on the 31st,
there is a morning attack on Catholic dockworkers in Belfast resulting in the
death of one of the dockers. His name
was James Cromie.
On the 1st September, four Protestants are killed in
the Oldpark area.
James Cowser (37) by the BA. Thomas
Maxwell (38); Thomas Boyd (45) were killed either by
Crown Forces or the IRA. William
McMurray or McMurty, is also killed most likely by
the IRA . A
loyalist mob attacked the Falls area resulting in the deaths of two Catholics:
Frederick Hobbs and John O’Brien. O’Brien was killed by a loyalist gunman
and Hobbs could have been shot by the BA or a loyalist sniper.
As in July, an increased British Army presence and the imposition
of a curfew led to a curtailment of the violence.