Second Craig-Collins Pact

Introduction from Chronology

British government brings together representatives of the NI and Provisional governments in London on March 29^th and 30^th. This leads to the Second Craig-Collins Pact signed on March 30^th.

More Detail

According to McMahon, Churchill forced Craig to come to the conference by telling him that, if there was not an agreement between the NI and Provisional Governments, then the British army would take over security in Belfast and on the border. He also threatened to withhold funding for the Special Constabulary.

On Irish side were Collins, Griffith, O’Higgins, Duggan, Hugh Kennedy and Russell McNabb (as a representative of Belfast Catholics).  On Northern Irish side were Craig, Marquis of Londonderry and Edward Archdale (Agriculture Minister).  Churchill and Worthington-Evans represented the British government.  The Pact includes a pledge by both Dublin and Belfast governments to cooperate to restore peace.

The most important clause was to deal with policing in troubled areas in the North and was an attempt to see if Catholics could be adequately represented in the security forces.  Specifically, there was to be a special police in mixed areas of Belfast which would include equal numbers of Catholics and Protestants.  There were other measures which aimed to ensure that the police did not abuse their powers and arrangements were made to guarantee fair trials. 

In addition, Collins agreed to use his authority to stop IRA attacks in the North and seek release of those kidnapped in border incidents and Craig agreed to do what he could for the Catholic shipyard workers who had been expelled.  The British government was to provide funding for relief work which was to be used two-thirds for Protestant workers and one-third for Catholic workers.  Craig also agreed to the release of a number of prisoners.  In addition, a number of committees were established to oversee and attempt to conciliate disputes, oversee grants, employment, etc.    Text of agreement is given as Appendix 24 in Macardle

Churchill tries to talk-up the pact – its first sentence is “Peace is today declared”.  It is welcomed by most sections of the British press and by pro-Treaty press, north and south of the border.  However, on the morning that pact is published (31^st March), anti-Treaty IRA Executive announces that it is re-imposing Belfast Boycott – trains from Belfast are stopped and goods removed. 

In addition, the more extreme section of unionism (including people within Craig’s own government) are against the Pact.  Hardline unionists such as William Coote, James Cooper, Robert Lynn, Samuel McGuffin and recently appointed military advisor, General Henry Wilson did not like aspects of the pact, especially the policing clauses.  Eventually, Craig used the actions of the anti-Treatyites as an excuse for not facing down his own hard-liners.  Also, Belfast Sinn Féiners do not like the recognition of the NI government that joining a local police force would imply. (Hopkinson says that the pact exacerbated the problems and led to a train of outrages and unrest in Belfast.) 

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