On this day in 1922, the Third Tipperary Brigade of the IRA looted and destroyed the offices of The Nationalist newspaper.
The South Tipperary Brigade’s belief was that an independent Irish Republic had been declared on 24 April 1916 and ratified at the General Election in 1918. Therefore, in their eyes, the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 6 December 1921 (which partitioned the country and contained an Oath of Allegiance to the monarchy) was illegitimate.
The Brigade demanded that the local press help spread this anti-treaty stance. A letter was written to the editor on 17 January stating:
“Seeing that you have already refused to publish an article submitted to you by the OC batt. 5, 3rd Tipperary Brigade IRA, I, as an officer of the above Brigade, do hereby order you to publish said article, the consequence of refusal being suppression.”
The Nationalist refused to alter their stance, insisting that their editorial output would reflect the will of the people. On 19 January 1922, the Nationalist offices were looted and its printing machinery was destroyed.
The newspaper managed to publish again just two weeks later. In the editorial section, it was made clear that the newspaper remained unbowed:
“Ireland, exercising her self-determination has made her choice; she has decided on a definite course of action. She has won her greatest battle…There is no limit to her national development now. The Nationalist was with her in the dark and evil days and will be with her as steadfast in the future. The paper suffered in the past at the hands of the common enemy for its loyalty to principles, and it is regrettable that, in the early days of our new national existence, she has suffered at the hands of fellow workers in the cause, and in a manner foreign to national traditions. It is however consoling to know that the doings in Clonmel have been condemned by the Irish Press and people, and reprobated by the Irish Government, and though many workers have been rendered workless for a time, we have preserved our independence and liberty as Irish journalists and asserted our right to untrammelled freedom and discretion in the work we are engaged in”.
Sources:
Denis G. Marnane and Mary Guinan Darmody, ‘County Tipperary 1921-1923 – a history in 60 documents’, p9.
The Nationalist, 4 February 1922, p5.
