The Boundary Question

Above: Picture of Dail Eireann

As a set off to this, the Free State should be released from its obligations under Article 5 of the Treaty, in regard to the public debt of the United Kingdom and the War Pensions. It should, however, assume the responsibility of compensating for malicious injuries, done within its territory since 1919, and must repay to the British Government all money already paid by the latter in respect of such damage. The Council of Ireland contemplated by the Act of 1920 was not to come into being, and certain services, reserved in 1920, were now to be placed under the authority of the Northern Government.
When this scheme was submitted to Dail Eireann it met with a good deal of opposition. Many deputies declared that the Nationalists of Tyrone and Fermanagh were being shame¬fully betrayed, while others considered that the advantages, supposed to be gained by the abrogation of Article 5, were unreal, since Ireland could have set against any demand made by the British Government a huge counterclaim in regard to her own overtaxation, admitted by the Financial Commission of 1897.

In the Six Counties it was declared, both in the press and at public meetings, that ” Ulster ” would not yield an inch of her territory. On the other hand, the Nationalists of the South considered that the counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh, in both of which there were small Nationalist majorities, or at least considerable parts of them, should be ceded to the Free State. That, if this were done, ” Northern Ireland ” would be reduced to such small proportions that its successful adminis¬tration would become an economic impossibility was a consideration which did not move them. On November 19th (1925), the ” Morning Post,” a London daily paper, published an alleged forecast of the decision of the Boundary Commission.

Above: Map of Southern Ireland

Above: Map of Northern Ireland including the counties.

THE year 1924 was not marked by any notable event. There was, however, a good deal of legislation of various kinds. The new police force, called the Civic Guard, was organised. Arrangements were made regarding Land Purchase, Courts of Justice were set up. A system of Trade Protection was inaugurated, by the imposition of heavy import duties on certain classes of goods. The large army, which the unsettled state of the country had rendered it necessary to maintain, was now reduced in numbers.