LORD CRAIGAVON

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 127, 25 November 1940, Page 8

LORD CRAIGAVON

PREMIER OF NORTH

IRELAND

EMPIRE TRADITION

[By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received November 25, noon.)

LONDON, November 24. Lord Craigavon, Premier of Northern Ireland, ,i's dead.

Lord Craigavon was born in January, 1871, as James Craig, and his father was the late James Craig, J.P., of Craigavon and Tyrella, County Down. He was formerly a captain in the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, and was still honorary captain in the R.N.V.R. and honorary lieutenantcolonel in the Army at the time of his death. He served with the Imperial Yeomanry and the Irish Horse in the South African War in 1900-1902, and in the following year he contested the North Fermanagh seat in the House of Commons. He was elected for East Down in 1906 and sat in the House of Commons until 1921. In the days of the World War he was one of the most active supporters of Sir Edward Carson and an opponent of Home Rule for Ireland if it involved Ulster being incorporated in the new political entity. In 1914-15 he was A.A. and Q.M.G. of the 36th (Ulster) Division.

In 1916-18 he was Treasurer to his Majesty's Household and in 1919-20 was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions. In 1920-21 he became Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty. He was also President of the Ulster Unionist Council. He was thus well launched on a successful career in British poli-

The late Lord Craigavon.

tics when Ulster obtained its own Government and he took over the leadership of the Unionists there and became Prime Minister. He had been made a baronet in 1919 and two years later he became a P.C. In June, 1921, he was the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and exchanged his seat in the Commons for one in Hie new Parliament, sitting as one of the members for County Down. In 1927 he was made a viscount. . ,

His career as leader of Northern Ireland was marked by a strong attachment to the Empire tradition and by careful administration. He was a man of powerful physique and also of great courage. In' 1920 he went to see Mr. de Valera and visited the camp of his enemy alone and unarmed. He was several times attacked and bullets narrowly missed him. On one occasion his own sentries fired on his car in error as he entered the grounds of Stormont Castle. In 1928 a widespread conspiracy against his life was discovered to haye been laid by the Irish Republican Army. He was also a man of simple, straightforward approach and of considerable personal charm as those who met him on his visit to New Zealand in 1929 will remember. His settlement of the Irish boundary question was followed by the presentation of a silver loving cup to him by the citizens of Belfast. They had greatly admired his handling of the situation.

A J.P. of Belfast, an honorary LL.D. of Queen's University, Belfast, and an honorary D.C.L. of Oxford University, Lord Craigavon was also a Knight of Grace of the Order of St. John, an Associate of the Institute of Naval Architects, and a Freeman of the City of Derry. His heir, the Hon. James Craig, was born in. 1906.