Killing of Swanzy and Ensuing Riots
Among the IRA men involved were Sean Culhane and Dan (Sandow) O’Donovan (Cork No. 1 Brigade), Joe McKelvey and Roger McCorley (Belfast Brigade) and Joe Leonard (Sligo). The Cork IRA suspected DI Swanzy of being involved in the killing of Tomas MacCurtain – see 20th March 1920 but, according to Hart, Florrie O’Donoughue afterwards expressed doubts on Swanzy’s guilt. (Joe – or Sean – Leonard is arrested and tried for the killing.) Collins had found out from RIC Sgt Matt McCarthy that Swanzy has moved to Lisburn and sanctioned his assassination.
Parkinson says that at least 8 houses are burnt down in Lisburn immediately after the killing and many Catholic families flee the town. From lunchtime onwards on the 25th, there is widespread disturbances in the east of Belfast. Two young Protestants – James McCartney and Ethel Burrows – are killed by the army and several others injured near Dee St. The disturbances continue the following day with over 30 fires reported and many petrol bomb attacks. Machine-gun fire is heard on the Newtownards Road. Disturbances curtailed on Aug-27 due to adverse weather conditions but start again on 28th when riots break out between returning workers and residents of the Short Strand. The military open fire resulting in many injuries – including Francis McCann who died from his wounds. Also killed on the 28th was a Catholic labourer, Terence Burns (36).
On the following day, there was intense rioting and gunfire in the Catholic enclave of Marrowbone. Six Catholics were shot dead: Henry Kinney [Kenny] (18); Thomas Toner; Owen Moan; John Murray; William Cassidy and Charles O’Neill. In the Townsend St. area in the west of the city, two more Catholics were shot dead Robert Lynch (17) and Patrick Gilmore (25). Also on the 29th, a Protestant teenager, Henry Hobson, was shot in the Millfield area and died later in hospital.
On the morning of the 30th, Protestant workers are attacked on trams as they make their way to work resulting in the deaths of William Mullan and John Thompson. IRA gunmen also claim the lives of Samuel Colville (18); John Coard; Adam McClean; Grace Orr (23) and 11-year old Robert McAlpine who was reportedly watching the sniping. On the Sandy Row, the British army opened fire on Protestant rioters resulting in two deaths – Paul Chapman and Robert Seymour.
The 31st sees loyalist gunmen kill Edward Burns (65) and Henry McCann. A Protestant teenager, James Mathers got a leg would from which he later died and another Protestant, Fred Saye (26) was fatally wounded by a British army patrol. Also, Pte Jamison of the British Army was accidentally shot dead while patrolling on the Linfield Rd.
On the 1st September, four Protestant were killed in the Oldpark area (3 by the IRA): Thomas Maxwell (38); William McMurray (18); Thomas Boyd (45) and James Cowser. A loyalist mob attacked the Falls area resulting in the deaths of two Catholics: Frederick Hobbs (28) and John O’Brien (45). As in July, an increased British army presence and the imposition of a curfew led to a curtailment of the violence.