The Truce!

THE TRUCE: JULY –DECEMBER 1921

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HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED IN BALLINA

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(Western People, July 11, 1921)

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  The proclamation of a truce was nowhere received with greater jubilation than in Ballina district. When it became known definitely about mid-day on Saturday that a truce had been arranged the utmost satisfaction was universally expressed, for it was recognised that unless there was a strong prospect of a substantial agreement in the peace negotiations a truce would have been impossible.

 

  On Saturday notices were posted up announcing that curfew and all other restrictions, including the ban on fairs and markets, had been removed. That night the people of the town enjoyed their newly-restored liberties to the full, and for the first time during the summer they were enabled to be abroad in the beautiful after-glow of the summer’s twilight. The Auxiliary forces who had arrived on the previous evening held an all fresco concert for the benefit of a large crowd of spectators at Barrack hill immediately opposite the Foresters’ Hall and War Memorial Hunt, which they had commandeered on the previous evening.

  

  With piano, drums, cornet and other instruments they rendered several first-class orchestral selections. The crowd listened good-humouredly—more it was impossible to expect them to do remembering the war-like appearance of the entertainers on the previous day. The performer later on in the night held a mock wake, complete in every detail even to the lighted candles, and to remove any possible cause of offence to their audience they informed them that the waked party was not a Sinn Feiner. The celebrations were kept up throughout the night. Next morning before the people were astir the Auxiliaries had taken their departure after a sojourn of about thirty-six hours, although they had obviously come prepared for a long stay.

  The celebrations were resumed on Sunday night when several bonfires were lighted in the town. The merry-making, however, was principally indulged in by children. Everybody felt relieved at the removal of the harrassing restrictions imposed for some months past, but the prevailing impression was that it was yet premature to give way to undue optimism as to the outcome of the peace negotiations.

  During the day on Sunday one noticed the town enjoying a welcome relaxation by some young men who for a considerable time past had been compelled to absent them from their homes.

·       Jan Smuts of South Africa and British Prime Minister David Lloyd George. The King, who had made his unhappiness at the behaviour of the Black and Tans in Ireland well known to his government, was dissatisfied with the official speech prepared for him for the opening of the new Parliament of Northern Ireland, created as a result of the partition of Ireland. Smuts, a close friend of the King, suggested to him that the opportunity should be used to make an appeal for conciliation in Ireland. The King asked him to draft his ideas on paper. Smuts prepared this draft and give copies to the King and to Lloyd George. Lloyd George then invited Smuts to attend a British cabinet meeting consultations on the “interesting” proposals Lloyd George had received, without either man informing the Cabinet that Smuts had been their author Faced with the endorsement of them by Smuts, the King and the Prime Minister, minister reluctantly agreed to the King’s planned ‘reconciliation in Ireland’ speech.

  The speech, when delivered in Belfast on 22 June, was universally well received. It called on “all Irishmen to pause, to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation, to forgive and forget, and to join in making for the land they love a new era of peace, contentment, and good will.”