“THE FALL OF DUBLIN CASTLE”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18509, 21 March 1922, Page 8

“THE FALL OF DUBLIN CASTLE”

TRANSFER TO IRISH MINISTERS. EMBARKATION OF BRITISH TROOPS. - i—(Fbqu Odb Own Corbespondent.) ; LONDON, January 20. For seven centuries Dublin Castle has stood fpr England's rule in Ireland. On January. 16 it was handed over to the representatives of the Irish Free State. The dramatic nature of the event was recognised by the spectators, who freely commented on the fact that the taking over of the stronghold fell to Mr Collins, who until a few months ago was a fugitive sought by Dublin Castle. , “The; members of the Rialtas Sealadacti no Heiteann received the surrender of Dublin Castle at 1.45 p.m. to-day. This is now in the hands of the nation.” So ran the statement issued from the Mansion House, the temporary headquarters of the Irish Free State Provisional Government, upon the memorable event of the afternoon. One ■would have to go back to the thirteenth century to get anything in the nature of a parallel to the conditions of self-government now begun in Ireland and enshrined in the before-given words. From Sandringham the King telegraphed to Lord Fitzalan: “Am gratified to hear from yotir telegram of successful establishment of the Provisional Government in Ireland. Am confident that you wih do all in your power to help its members accomplish the task that lies before them. THE FALL OF THE CASTLE. Enormous interest was taken in what is described locally as the “Fall of the Castle,” and crowds assembled about the vicinitv hours before the Lord-Lieutenam and the Provisional Government were expected. The event is historic, and is one of the first results of the Southern Parliament sanctioning the approval of the Treaty. Considerable interest was taken 1 y visitors In the mounting of the guard by “B” Company of the 2nd Battalion of the OornwaUs, which military ceremony was gone through for the last, time whilst the British Government controlled the Castle. English soldiers will continue to mount guard at points for another month at least, but that day’s guard was especially interesting as the last under the old conditions. ~ , By mid-day vast crowds had assembled at the gates of Dublin Castle. No intimation had been given to the public as to the hour at which the event would be hkely to take place; indeed, no definite hour was arranged, but people nad a sense that what was about to happen would be the most momentous incident yet witnessed in history rapidly unfolding itself in these cays or Anglo-Irish amity, and they were prepaid to wait, no matter how long, in order not to miss it. _ . . For centuries (as The Times remarks) Dublin Castle has been the symbol as well as the citadel, of British rule in Ireland. Its transfer to tire representatives of the Irish people is bailed in Dublin with infinite satisfaction. It is regarded as the supremo outward and visible sign that British jule is indeed at an end, and that Ireland -lias at last oome into her own. In IrishTminds, the “fall of Dublin Castle will find in Irish history a place no less prominent and unforgettable than the fan of the! Bafitille holds in the history of Frants? - . All Dublin was agog with anticipation. From early morning a dense crowd collected outside the gloomy gates in Dane street, though from the outside little can be seen of the Castle, and only a few privileged persons were permitted to enter its grim gates. The inspection of the guard in the Upper Courtyard was the only diversion of those who were waiting, and it was watched with a special interest. THE CEREMONY. Mr Collins, with a happy smile, seemed \o enter upon the task with much good will and good humour. He and the otlier seven members, who received the salute from the military and police guards, went to the Chief Secretary's office, and thence to the Council Chamber, where the formal transference ,was carried out. Tire proceedings, iheld in private, lasted for 55 minutes, and at the conclusion the heads of the principal administrative departments were presented to the», members of the Provisional Governofficial report of the proceedings was issued thus:—Mr Collins handed to the Lord-Lieutenant a copy of the treaty, in •whichi the acceptance of its provisions by himself and his colleagues had been endorsed; The other members of the ProviBionaT Government were then introduced The Lord-Lieutenant congratulated Mr Collins and his colleagues, and informed them that they were now duly installed as tn© Provisional Government, and that, in conformity with Article 17 of the ’J ca |/> n r would !at once communicate with the Hntisn Government in order that the necessary eteps might be taken for the transfer to the Provisional Government of the powers and machinery requisite for the discharge of its duties. He wished them every success m the task they had undertaken, expressed the earnest hope that, under their auspices, the ideal of a happy, .free, and prosperous Ireland would be attained. On leaving the Castle, the members of the Provisional Government again t reccjvcd great ovation from a largely-aug-mented crowd. EVACUATING THE ARMY. ' The evacuation of the British Army, consisting; of 60.000 men, will begin immediately and 10 battalions have alrwuly been ordered to embark in the next Hw days »Rhe first infantry battalions to leave will be the 2nd Gordons, Ist Duke of Wellington’s 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire L. 1., Ist Roval Fusiliers. 2nd King's jOwn Yorkshire L. 1., 2nd Argyll and Sutherlands. Ist Clieshircs, Ist Duke of-, Cornwall’s L. 1., Ist East Yorkshires. Ist The Buffs. ! These will be followed by other units of all arms and services as rapidly as transport and other conditions permit. AUXILIARIES’ FUTURE. An agreement has been reached between the Auxiliary Division of the R.T.C. and the authorities. A scheme has been formulated by the men’s representatives for pooling on a voluntary basis the nay due under the men’s contracts. In their negotiations the men’s delegates, who remain behind in Dublin, had the assistance of General Wood, commanding the Auxiliary X>iyisio|i, and it is understood that their Batisfaajbry outcome had an immediate effect In relieving the tension among the men afe>Holyhead, who proceeded with their clcmobifiiqliori. It is reported that the Imperial Government arc consider--sng the practicability of . employing about 700 officers and men on police duties in Palestine. PLACE OF THE EVIL SPELL. The Morning Post correspondent in Dublin thinks the Provisional Government will make a groat mistake if it does not level Dublin Castle to the ground, “for there is anevifc spell on the place, and its spirit is quite Bs capable of destroying (he Free Btate as it was- of destroying the Union. Certainly no one who believed in the Union, and still believes that if it had been properly conducted it was the best arrangement for British and Irish alike, will weep jahy salt tears if Dublin Castle crumbles -to.- dust under the navvy’s pick. (For its spirit of intolerant bureaucracy. ;the type of politicians it harboured, and the kind qt-fidministrators it bred did more to destroy?-.the Union than all the agitators and treasop-mongers that ever stumped Ireland.” BIG; PAY AND NO WORK. When exodus begins its labyrinthine fastnesses;will vomit up high-salaried officials who'-have not done an honest bit of work for 'iyears. When the British Government was? still waging its half-hearted fight with Simf Fein spies abounded in its bolt boles amt warrens, and in its high places Bat men -who were busy currying favour with the" rebels, even while they were drawing {arge salaries and wearing titles received ftom the Crown. It is comforting to. remember that the bulk of the men wiho did - these things and mad©. Dublin Castle wmt it has been, and still is. were Irishmen. * It is less pleasing to remember that though their British colleagues were few in numbejr. they generally outclassed the #i*tive in: incompetence and stupidity. By turning their backs on the wild-eyed Gaels and? accepting the British connection, Mr Griffith and his colleagues have reenthroned; British civilisation in Ireland. Thev are entitled to the best that that civilisation ha* to offer. In Ditblin Castle, Britain gave Ireland not her best but her absolute agid unsurpassable worst. Had it been otherwise. an ignominious dissolution would never have been the fate of the Union.” i fiINN FEIN’S FIRST PROCLAMATION. In their first proclamation, the Provisional Government directed “that nil law courts, corporations, councils, departments of State, boards, judges, civil servants, officers of the peace, and all public servants and functionaries hitherto acting under the authority of the British Gover-ynont shall continue to carry out. their functions’ unless and unsl otherwise by us pending ibe constitution of the Parliament and Gowermnei* of the Free State, and without prejudice to the full and free exercise by that Parliament and Government, when

constituted, of all and every its powers, anti authority in regard to tiiem or any of them.” And it prohibited “the removal, tampering with or destruction of any records, documents, correspondence, accounts, books, writings, or papers of a public nature or relating to or which came into existence for the purposes of government or public administration in Ireland, or for the purpose of any matter or thing connected with such government or administration or any branch thereof." SURRENDERED, j “Sinn Feiners, in their hour of triumph (comments the Morning Post), awe disposed neither to study the susceptibilities of the British nation nor to take part in the makebelieve of Mr Lloyd George. They have, in fact, received a complete surrender, and they are determined to rub it in, though even in such an exultant hour they cannot, forbear from being ridiculous as well as insolent. They can call a surrender a surrender in plain English. but they must needs call an Irish Provisional Government a ‘Rialtas Sealadach na Heireann,’ though a translation of the phrase lias to be provided even for the faithful. Yet surrender to murder is not less humiliating because the murderers are also Mr Lloyd George may not feel the humiliation, because there is now hardly an enemy of his country to whom he has not surrendered. It is only against his country’s friends and allies that he is prepared to cue in the last ditch.” Th© Dublin correspondent of that paper notes that the Lord-Lieutenant was so unaware of the symbolic immensity of the occasion that he came to the castle in a bowler hat In the evening the crowd ‘‘endeavoured to vindicate its patriotism by pulling a Union Jack from the bonnet of a motor car that was conveying departing auxiliaries to the mail boat. Other auxiliaries rescued the flag without difficulty, for there is nothing heroic about your Dublin rnob. But it was not too good an omen for the inception ot a .Free State that is entering a community of nations all of which hold the Union Jack in considerable respect.”