O’Sheil’s Memo on the North-East
Introduction from
Chronology
O’Sheil’s memo on the
North-East (see Oct-03-22/2) suggests a representative conference of north-east
Nationalists to consider a number of issues including the attitude to be
adopted to the NI parliament.
More Detail
O’Sheil was concerned that the Hibernians (under
Devlin) would go into the Northern Ireland Parliament and he wanted to block
this ‘until the decision of the Boundary Commission has been
promulgated’. But it was decided to wind the two pro-Treaty Northern IRA divisions
in NI and wind up (from 31st October 1922) Collins’ policy of paying
the salaries of Catholic primary teachers in Northern Ireland.
The pro-Treaty government also
decided to set up the North-Eastern Boundary Bureau under O’Sheil
and tasked it with not only compiling information for the Boundary Commission
but also dealing with the northern problem. The Bureau also had a
North-Eastern Local Division with local agents each responsible for particular
border areas. One of their tasks was to draw up a case for inclusion of
their local area in the Free State. Six local agents were appointed
– all were supporters of Sinn Féin (except the Mayor of Derry, H C O’Doherty). See Oct-10-22/2.
Despite the setting up of the Boundary Bureau, the pro-Treaty government did not want the Boundary Commission set up until the Civil War was over. As O’Sheil wrote “What a ridiculous position we would cut both nationally and universally were we to argue our claim at the Commission for population and territory when at our backs in our own jurisdiction is the perpetual racket of war”.