The Union Flag Row–100 Years Ago…Jason Burke

‘You May Say Its An Old Coloured Rag’ – The Union Flag Row 100 Years Ago

While spending some time in the Belfast Newspaper Library this week researching a completely unrelated topic a consistent pattern began to emerge as I read through the Belfast Evening Telegraph for the latter months of 1912. It seems that even a century ago the Union Flag was not tolerated in Ulster by certain sections and that it regularly led to sectarian violence on the streets.  The brief stories below include cases of patriotism, statesmanship (Mr John Redmond), sectarianism and ignorrance, set against a back drop of a looming Home Rule Bill for Ireland.

‘BABY’S UNION JACK’

This headline referred to an incident which took place on Ulster Day, 28 September 1912, on the Newtownards Road in East Belfast. An R.I.C. Sergeant deposed that at 4pm on 28 September he saw an old woman carrying a little child in her arms in the Foundry Street area. In its hand the child carried a miniature Union Jack. He then witnessed a Mrs Bridget McPhillips, (defendant) who had been walking on the opposite footpath, cross the road, run after the old woman, and strike her about the face several times. The victim later stated that the defendant took the flag out of the child’s hand, broke it, before striking her in the face and threatening to “knock the orange blood out of her.” The defendant was found guilty and fined 20s plus costs.

While the Home Rule Bill was being debated at committee stage Mr Hammersley (Member for Woodstock) moved a new clause providing that the Union Flag should continue to be the official flag of Ireland, and should be kept flying over the building in which the Irish Parliament sat. By accepting this clause Nationalist members would show that they were fully bona-fide in their protestations of future loyalty under Home Rule. Mr J. MacVeagh (South Down) commented that it was ridiculous that when the House was revising the Act of Union it should force upon Ireland the symbol of a Union which they hated.

Mr Balfour stated that a speech such as that from Mr MacVeagh turning the flag of the Empire into ridicule shamed and disgusted him. If that, he said, was the spirit in which they were going to deal with these great symbols in Ireland, however honest their professions might be, they were destined to be absolutely shattered in practice.

Mr John Redmond said that under Home Rule the Union Jack would float in Dublin, and alongside it they would find some Irish flag, but there was a great deal of difference of opinion as to what the colour of the latter should be.

The clause was defeated.

Readers may be familiar with the infamous ‘Castledawson clash’ of June 1912 when a Protestant Sunday School march clashed with a Hibernian march resulting in serious violence. The Hibernians were widely blamed for the incident which later sparked reprisals against Catholics working in the Belfast Shipyards.

Two parades in the same town was not unheard of, but the court heard that the Hibernians deliberately changed their route to confront the Sunday School parade.  Whitehouse Sunday School and their band were comprised of mostly young boys and approached from the opposite direction. While both parties were passing each other an RIC Constable heard a whisper from the Hibernian side “The Union Jack”. Immediately a man rushed from the Hibernian procession and into the midst of the Sunday School excursion. His name was William Craig who was later arrrested for seizing the Union Flag of a young boy. During the struggle a police officer was struck with a pike, and when he looked to his right the Hibernian party had drawn their pikes towards the Sunday School excursion.

On 14 September there was a football match at Celtic Park between Linfield and Belfast Celtic. As an understated police report said, ‘Supporters of these two clubs belong to different parties’: they meant Unionist in the case of Linfield, and Nationalist for Celtic. Trouble between the two clubs eventually forced Celtic out of the league altogether in 1949, and 1912 was a precursor for things to come.
Prior to the game tensions were high, and 60 people ended up in hospital after a half time battle between supporters, followed by a police baton charge and further trouble outside the ground. According to an article in the Belfast Evening Telegraph, reporting on the subsequent trials of those arrested at the scene, objection to the Union Flag seems to have sparked the violence. A Mr Campbell said in court ‘The colours used on the occasion were a sort of challenge, but he thought no-one should take exception to the Union Jack. At Celtic Park however it was likely to lead to a breach of the peace, and in his opinion it was the cause of the disturbance.’ A running battle then developed outside which ended only when the last of the Protestants had been driven into their own part of the city.

Mrs Jefferson of 45 Ferry Road, Barrow-in Furness, on Ulster Day displayed a Union Jack from her residence. This emblem was surreptitiously removed by, it is supposed, some of Vickers Shipyard who were of Nationalist persuasion. Mrs Jefferson’s attention having been drawn to the action of these men at once set out to recover her flag and traced the offending individuals to Walney Bridge. Noticing her approach they hurriedly planted the flag on a hut in the centre of the bridge and made a speedy departure, thereby enabling Mrs Jefferson to recover the emblem of loyalty unmolested. The incident as narrated created a good deal of interest in Loyalist circles in Belfast. Indeed Mrs Jefferson was quoted as saying “What I did was only my duty, as an Orangeman’s daughter and an Orangeman’s wife and also as a member of the Ladies L.O.L…I will also bring my children up as I was brought up myself.”

This poem was published in the Belfast Evening Telegraph, and written by Leslie Edgar, Kellerberrin, Western Australia, October 1912.