Sectarian rioting in Derry leaves two dead and many injured

Derry, 19 May 1920 - The city of Derry has been rocked by a prolonged bout of sectarian rioting that saw clashes between republicans, loyalists and the police. Mob violence, stone-throwing and revolver fire over the course of the last week, has left two dead and eight wounded.

One of the dead was 21-year-old Bernard Doherty, a civilian ex-soldier. The other was Detective Sergeant Moroney, Chief of the Special Crimes Department, who, according to a telegraph from the Lord Lieutenant, Sir John French, was the victim of a ‘brutal murder while gallantly discharging his duty’.

There have been reports of catholics being attacked and beaten on the streets by armed men with their faces covered. According to the Belfast Newsletter, unionists were also attacked by gangs of Sinn Féin supporters as they emerged from work at the city’s gasworks and from the shipyards.

One man was reportedly knocked off his bicycle as he made his way through a strongly republican area. His bike was stolen and he was kicked on the ground before, bloodied and bruised, he made his escape.

A proclamation was issued by city magistrates requesting that all ‘well-disposed’ citizens remain indoors at night, and warning that prompt measures would be taken to prevent a renewal of hostilities. It also announced that public houses must shut at 4pm every day for the next week.

[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.]