Ground shifts away from Derry's nationalists as Partition lines are drawn up

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of The Anglo-Irish Treaty. In the first of a two-part series, Matthew Leslie speaks to Dr Adrian Grant of Ulster University to examine life in Derry before the Treaty had been signed. 

The riots that took place in Derry in 1920 eventually came to a close but tensions in the city were still on a powderkeg.

While Sinn Féin held the Derry City Westminster constituency (while not taking the seat there in line with party policy) and a Nationalist coalition in control of both the city's Council and the Mayor's office, events elsewhere would decide the future of Derry's fortunes.

Partition of the Ireland had been an idea since the nineteenth century but it became a reality late in 1920 with the Government of Ireland Act.

The bill meant that six of Ireland's counties would form the state of Northern Ireland to be run by a devolved – and predominantly unionist – administration in Belfast.

May 1921 saw the enforcement of the Act and it left Derry cut off from the rest of Ireland – especially from the trade it had with neighbouring Co. Donegal.

Dr Adrian Grant of Ulster University said: “Partition – on paper – took place as a result of the Government of Ireland Act in 1920. That piece of legislation allowed for the creation of two separate parliaments of two politically jurisdictions – Northern Ireland in the six counties and Southern Ireland in the 26 counties.

“Northern Ireland was founded with the unionist political establishment ran the legislation to establish a parliament, set up a police force and put into place the whole mechanisms of a government.

_{Dr Adrian Grant of Ulster University}

“Whereas in the south, the whole concept of there being a Southern Ireland never really took hold because it wasn't accepted by nationalists or Sinn Féiners as a solution to the issue.

“So essentially, the Government of Ireland Act was just ignored. The Southern Irish parliament was never founded which meant the 26 counties were in a state of limbo while Northern Ireland was being founded.

“It was only when the Treaty negotiations took place that the concept of the Free State of Ireland came into play.

“Though it had taken place on paper, actual partition didn't take place until after the Free State had been founded.

“With the partition on paper, the news of that did not go down well at all with Derry's nationalist community.

“I think that once that happened, it was just a matter for them to try and keep their heads down and use the power that they had gained in the local elections earlier in 1920 to try and argue for Derry to be included in the southern jurisdiction.

“There was a twin-strategy. The ultimate outcome would be a united Ireland that was independent – whether it would be a republic or not would be another point. There was a feeling that the IRA and Sinn Féin could achieve their aims and there would be no worries about partition and treat it as if it was something to be ignored.

“Others probably more realistically thought that partition was going to happen whatever the outcome was. For those nationalists and republicans, their strategy was to argue forcefully in the press and in the political circles for Derry to be included in the southern jurisdiction.

“They went out mapping, interviewing people throughout the potential border area to ask their opinion on where they would like to reside and put out the message that Derry was a nationalist city and should not be included in Northern Ireland.

“They also wanted to keep control of local government so they could continue to make that point.”

While nationalists in Derry went about arguing their case, Michael Collins himself was planning a campaign of destabilisation to collapse the new Northern Ireland and have Derry and the North within the Free State's fold.

However, events close to home would prevent that. A turn that would have profound consequences on Derry for decades to come.

The second and final part of “Derry and the Anglo-Irish Treaty”, will be in next Monday's edition of The Derry News on December 6.

Read more:

Derry "the centre of attention" in Partition question

When unionists lost control of Derry