From the Beef Shop to the Boot Shop!

Poyntzpass and District Local History Society "From the Beef to Shop the Boot Shop!" By JohnCampbell I am sure was that many country people will share my pie of that the practice of wheeling a drunk a a a earliest memory of meeting with policeman. through village in wheelbarrow. Apart from that a a quiet word in parent's ear could have a lasting effect on a young person tempted to stray out of line. One afternoon, when I came home from school, Iwas told of a local man who still remembers clear there was a large, strange bicycle propped up against ly the visit of the policeman to his mother with a the railings at the front of our house. Inside at the complaint from a neighbour woman that he and his end of the kitchen table sat a huge, uniformed man pals had made very uncomplimentary remarks about writing in a book. He was Constable William her underwear! Gethins from Poyntzpass RUC Station and he was taking details of the Annual Tillage return from my From earliest times in Ireland, Justices of the Peace father. had the power to enrol Special Constables where necessary. In towns they were known as 'Watchmen' Constable Gethins was, I believe, a native of and in rural areas as 'Parish Constables'. Their duties Garrison, Co. Fermanagh. His father had been a included patrolling at night with a lantern and a member of the R.I.C and when he, in his turn, pike. became a policeman he was stationed in Crossmaglen before coming to Poyntzpass. He By the beginning of the 19th Century there was a served in Poyntzpass for many years until his retire good deal of dissatisfaction with this poorly ment and lived for some time in the Orlits at the top equipped, untrained police force that appeared total of the Chapel Hill. I later became aware that he had ly ineffective in combating the rising crime. three daughters who attended school in Newry. He was the first policeman I can remember. They showed little enthusiasm for the job, and at fairs and markets, where fights broke out, they usu to Although most people will obey most laws willing ally made themselves scarce only re-appear when sur ly there has always been a need for some means of the battle was over and arrest the exhausted maintaining order. In small communities, where vivors. This tactic was not entirely lost with the pas I about a everybody knows everyone else, losing the esteem of sage of time, for heard policeman in a or two those around you can be a greater punishment than Poyntzpass who knew thing about timing Iwas told a anything handed down by the institutions of law. on such occasions. story about two local out Small communities have many social ties through men who fell about the distribution of the in the schools, churches and other local organisations and 'Belfast Telegraph' village and started to fight on the street. A who in this imposes constraint on those who might consider lady lived the main street con and who never missed was saw illegal activity. Only when this sort of informal what going on, the who witnessed trol breaks down is action by the police and courts policeman, the fight, taking himself necessary. And so, I would say, it has been in the 'offside' and she later reproached him. She was told who to mind Poyntzpass district and I know that policemen her own business and the policeman served here remembered their time in the district explained that he had deliberately let the two men a with a good deal of nostalgia. have 'crack' at each other so that when he appeared they would be glad to see him. In the early days of policing, public humiliation was recognised as an effective deterrent; one exam Most people date a modern Irish police force to [9] Poyntzpass and District Local History Society Former R/C Barracks, Railway Street. 1814 when Robert Peel, who had been appointed "An army reserve named Bob Mcllroy, better known Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1812, formed the 'Peace as "Gopeet," got into trouble on Friday night in Preservation Force'. Later, Peel, as Secretary of State Poyntzpass. It appears Bob, who had only returned for the Home Department, introduced the a few days from Armagh gaol, was on the spree. Metropolitan Police Act in 1829. This was the first Now when "Gopeet" is on the spree there is always uniformed police force and it drew its recruits most fun at the 'Pass. It is alleged that after "knocking ly from old soldiers and was commanded by military out" several stalwarts about the village Bob arrived officers with a mounted section known as 'Dragoon' at his lodgings, which was presided over by Rosie police. Each horse carried two men, one sitting on a McQuaid, and that he struck Rosie and left her raised pad at the back and carrying a rifle. They had "speechless." Rosie was found unconscious anyway. the desired effect at disturbances at fairs and mar The police were notified and the report spread that kets. But old soldiers have never been the strictest Rosie was "kilt." Consequently everyone in the vil upholders of the civil law, never mind its enforce lage turned out, and the greatest excitement pre ment. Some of you will remember the escapades of vailed. Sergeant Sullivan located Bob, and made a Bob Mcllroy in FrankWatters stories from the Petty frontal attack, to which "Gopeet" succumbed, and he Sessions. was marched off to the barracks. The doctor mean while attended Rosie. Next morning Bob had to put a Bob regularly appeared at the Poyntzpass Petty in an appearance at Special Court held in the bar Sessions and accounts of his activities and their con racks before Mr. Heber A. Magennis, J.P., when he sequences were duly recorded in the local newspa was charged with being a common drunkard and dis pers. Once described in 'The Newry Reporter' as "the turber of the peace. The sergeant, in his evidence, hero of many a fight against the wily De Wet and the stated the manner in which the woman was brutally Boers on the South African veldt" a report in the assaulted. She was for three hours unconscious. He same paper in May 1910 went as follows : also told of other assaults committed byMcllroy on that evening. His language was very bad. [10] Poyntzpass and District Local History Society A large number of convictions against the prison Among the RIC rules was one that stipulated that er were men for drunk and disorderly conduct proved, that the proportion of married should not and, it was added, he was only back from doing four exceed a fifth of the force. The result was that mar teen days received at the last Petty Sessions, riage was therefore a privilege to be bestowed by the name on Inspector General. No man could record his He was repeatedly drinking and using filthy lan the marriage waiting list until he had completed 5 guage to ladies, and continually raising rows in the years service and he could expect to remain on the village. The sergeant asked to have him bound over list for at least 2 years. Then, as the rules stated, con to keep the peace. His Worship said that conduct of "this indulgence would only be granted to well this kind could not be tolerated. The prisoner had got ducted men and on the production of satisfactory repeated chances to reform, but instead he was get references as to the conduct, character, and ting worse. His conduct was a very bad example in respectability of thefemales to whom they wished to the district. So far as he was concerned he would put be united." a stop to entertainments of this description in Poyntzpass. The prisoner would have to find bail to After the 1916 Rising in Dublin Lloyd George res - be of good behaviourfor six months himself in ?10 urrected the 1914 Government of Ireland Act which - and two sureties of ?5 each or, in default of find proposed Home Rule and the Government of Ireland ing bail, three months in Armagh gaol, with hard Act 1920 made provision for two Parliaments and a labour. Bail not being forthcoming, the prisoner was Council of Ireland. However control over the forces removed to gaol" of law and order would, it was proposed, remain at Westminster. There followed the Anglo-Irish war In 1822 Ireland was awash with old soldiers. that was waged throughout 1920 and 1921 and cul Following the battle of Waterloo many regiments minated in the signing of the Treaty in December had been disbanded. Their return coincided with 1921. crop failures that led to extreme poverty and increased lawlessness. In that year the Constabulary Throughout 1920 there were many attacks on RIC of Ireland was formed under an Act that provided for barracks and these led to the closure of small bar a permanent, trained police force. Old soldiers were racks, including Poyntzpass, which could not be ade firmly discouraged from joining and recruits quately defended. A barracks at Loughbrickland received three months training. Their commanding which had only been vacated a short time earlier was officers were, it was said, "firm on discipline but tol burnt down as were barracks at Cullyhanna and erant in authority." Omeath with attacks on many other stations in the men locality. In early July 1920 a party of armed at 2 a.m. Their badge, which appeared in a diamond shaped entered the signal cabin at Poyntzpass and for over an piece of grey wood above the doors of their new bar held up the signalman J.

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