Unrest in Cork as treatment of prisoners raises political temperature

Cork, 28 September 1917 - Trouble flared last night on the streets of Cork City when groups of young Sinn Féiners attacked police with stones and broken slates.

Police responded by making repeated charges at the young protesters and several injuries were reported, one of which was serious. Shops also had their windows smashed in the disturbances.

Confidential police report on arrests in Cork due to breaches of the Defence of the Realm Act in September and October 1917 (Image: National Archive, UK)

This was the latest in a series of incidents in Cork that have been cause for concern for the authorities. Two days earlier, Irish Parliamentary Party MP, Joseph Devlin was mobbed when stepping off a steamer with fellow members of the Irish Convention.

Those alighting the steamer endured a hostile crowd shouting threats and slogans such as ‘Up De Valera’, ‘Who cheered the executions?’ and ‘Up Dublin’.
 
The appearance of Mr Devlin added to the anger of the crowd who yelled ‘Murderer’ in his direction and engaged in the hurling of stones, cinders and mud. Scuffles erupted and the police were called upon to draw their batons to protect Mr Devlin.

[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.]