Chapter Two 1912–1921
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LOUGHRIES LOL 1948 THE GREAT WAR AND ITS LEGACY CHAPTER TWO 1912–1921 orshipful Master of Loughries Lodge in 1912 was William Kirkpatrick a retired soldier who lived in Ballywatticock (Loughries) – he is Wpictured opposite with his family at their cottage in 1910. The politics of this period were dominated by the Third Home Rule Crisis. Unionists feared that ‘Home Rule was Rome Rule’ and that the interests of the Protestant population would be damaged if Home Rule was granted. The idea that Irish Home Rule had to be resisted by force went back to 1886 and the first Home Rule Crisis. By 1910 the Liberal Government was dependent on the support of the Irish Nationalist MPs to remain in power in Westminster. The 1911 Parliament Act removed the House of Lords veto on legislation. Now William Kirkpatrick at home in Loughries, 1910. Irish Home Rule became a distinct possibility and a campaign of opposition was organised by the Unionists of Ulster. The leader of the Conservative Party, Andrew Bonar Law, addressed a massive Unionist demonstration at the Balmoral Showgrounds at Easter 1912. On the previous day he had spoken at Unionist demonstrations in Comber and Newtownards. At Newtownards he was welcomed to the demonstration in Conway Square by W H Webb, the President of the Newtownards Unionist Club and managing director of the Ards Weaving Company, and by the Rev William Wright, the minister of First Newtownards Presbyterian Church. 28 September 1912 was declared to be ‘Ulster Day’ and in Newtownards special church services were held in First Newtownards Presbyterian Church and in St Mark’s Parish Church. Following the service at the Parish Church the congregation marched four deep, led by Lord Londonderry’s Own Flute Band, to the Town Hall. The declaration against Home Rule, ‘Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant’ was signed in the Town Hall and in the Guildhall. 2,474 men from the town signed the Covenant and 2,918 women signed the ‘Ulster Women’s Declaration’. At the end of 1912 the Ulster Unionist Council decided that the Orangemen and the members of the Unionist Clubs who had been undergoing military training should be brought together in a single organisation to be known as the Ulster The earliest known photograph of Loughries LOL 1948, from 1921. Volunteer Force. 18 19 Loughries A5 Text Page AW v7.indd 18-19 30/03/2016 23:30 LOUGHRIES LOL 1948 THE GREAT WAR AND ITS LEGACY A copy of the Home Rule Bill, which had just been passed by Parliament, was burnt in Conway Square in Newtownards on 16 January 1913. Orangemen and members of the Unionist Clubs met at the Orange Hall in Mary Street and marched to Conway Square, where the District Master, Thomas R Lavery, burnt the Home Rule Bill. The leader of the Ulster Unionists, Sir Edward Carson, spoke at a rally at Six Road Ends, at the end of July 1913, where he inspected 2,500 members of the North Down T. R. Lavery, prominent Orangeman Division of the Ulster Volunteer Force. The Newtownards Chronicle reported: ‘The turnout of Newtownards Unionists was a most imposing one and did infinite credit to everyone concerned. Preceded by Lord Londonderry’s Own Flute Band and a number of buglers, with the Union Jack at the head of the procession, the Unionists with rifles at the slope, and the Orangemen marched with military precision to the Six Road Ends’. On 31 January 1914 the colours were presented to the 2nd Battalion of the North UVF gunrunning at Donaghadee 36th Ulster Division parading along Down Regiment of the Ulster Volunteer Force. Lady Dunleath presented the harbour – unloading the Innismurray. Crawfordsburn Road, Newtownards, King’s Colour and the Marchioness of Londonderry presented the regimental en route from Clandeboye camp. colours. The ceremony took place on land next to the Castle Garden Mill (to the rear of the Old Priory in Newtownards) and ten companies of Ulster Volunteers were on parade, approximately 1,000 men. During Easter 1914 the men of the North Down Regiment held a training camp at Clandeboye. Sir Edward Carson announced at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council on 3 September 1914 the formation of what would become the 36th (Ulster) Division. However well-organised the Ulster Volunteer Force was becoming, it would be Recruitment would begin at once. On 7 September two meetings were held in useless without guns. A major gun-running operation was carried out on 24/25 Newtownards to enable men to enlist in the proposed Ulster Division. A meeting April 1914. The bulk of the guns, which had been purchased in Hamburg were was held in the Mill Yard of Messrs George Walker and Co (Ltd) for the ‘A’ unloaded from the Clyde Valley in Larne and Bangor, and from the Innismurray and ‘B’ companies of the 2nd Battalion of the North Down Regiment of the at Donaghadee. The Newtownards Volunteers were involved in the landing of Ulster Volunteer Force, another meeting for the ‘C’ and ‘D’ companies was held the guns at Donaghadee where the operation was overseen by Sir James Craig, in the Orange Hall. The meetings resulted in over 120 members of the UVF the future first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. volunteering for active service. While civil war was looming in Ireland, in Europe there was a greater crisis, and The recruits from County Down to the Ulster Division became the 13th on 4 August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. Many army reservists were Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles. The ‘B’ company was comprised of men called up and reported for duty. Sir Edward Carson struck a deal with the British from Newtownards, Comber and Downpatrick. Government that Home Rule would not be implemented until after the war had ended, with a special accommodation would be made for Ulster. Thirteen members of Loughries True Blues served in the First World War: 20 21 Loughries A5 Text Page AW v7.indd 20-21 30/03/2016 23:30.