Irish nationalists stand divided on northern elections to UK parliament

Belfast, 8 November 1922 – Irish nationalism is divided over the approach it should take to the forthcoming UK general election.

In a manifesto to the voters of the six counties, released earlier this week, Éamon de Valera has stated that those who believe in the unity and independence of Ireland will have nothing to do with the elections. According to the manifesto, the only competent authority for calling an election was Dáil Éireann and to participate for membership of a ‘foreign parliament is to acquiesce in the partition of our country by an alien legislature and to recognise the right of that legislature to make laws binding upon Ireland.’

This, de Valera continued, was a ‘true principle underlying the policy of Sinn Féin’ and it was one that had kept ‘our people united and successful through four years of manly struggle. Ask not permission of the foreigner to do that which we have a right to do and which we can do ourselves.’

Nevertheless, three nationalist candidates have decided to contest the elections in the north. Cahir Healy and Thomas Harbinson, who have been selected as candidates for Tyrone and Fermanagh, have issued a joint statement appealing for nationalists to come out and vote in protest against the partition of Ireland.

The two candidates insist that their return as MPs will send a signal that their two counties could not be separated from the rest of Ireland and that this must be accepted as the wishes of the people by any boundary commission.

The Tyrone-Fermanagh constituency possesses a nationalist majority of between 7,000 or 8,000. However, it is being reported that, in a repeat of tactics used in the last election, the ‘Specials’ have been active in intimidating the nationalist community by initiating a campaign of raids and arrests. In the Omagh district, this included raids not just on homes, but also on St Patrick’s Hall, the nationalist election headquarters.

In Derry City the election will be a contest between Protestant home ruler and anti-partitionist, Captain Edmund Loftus Macnaghten, and his unionist cousin, Sir Malcolm Macnaghten, K.C.

Polling will take place on 15 November with the first sitting of the parliament scheduled for 23 November.

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]