“King George V & ‘The Six Counties’” by Joe McVeigh

The first person ever to refer to the occupied part of Ireland as ‘The Six Counties’ was King George V in his speech at the official opening of the Northern parliament in Belfast City Hall on 7 June 1921. (The parliament moved from the City Hall to the Presbyterian Church’s college, later Union Theological College, until they moved to Parliament Buildings at Stormont in 1932.

This is the text of King George’s speech to both Houses of the Parliament of Northern Ireland given in person at Belfast on 7 June 1921:

“Members of the Senate and of the House of Commons:

For all who love Ireland, as I do with all my heart, this is a profoundly moving occasion in Irish history. My memories of the Irish people date back to the time when I spent many happy days in Ireland as a midshipman. My affection for the Irish people has been deepened by the successive visits since that time, and I have watched with constant sympathy the course of their affairs.

I could not have allowed myself to give Ireland by deputy alone My earnest prayers and good wishes in the new era which opens with this ceremony, and I have therefore come in person, as the Head of the Empire, to inaugurate this Parliament on Irish soil.

I inaugurate it with deep-felt hope, and I feel assured that you will do your utmost to make it an instrument of happiness and good government for all parts of the community which you represent.

This is a great and critical occasion in the history of the Six Counties, but not for the Six Counties alone, for everything which interests them touches Ireland, and everything which touches Ireland finds an echo in the remotest parts of the Empire.

Few things are more earnestly desired throughout the English speaking world than a satisfactory solution of the age long Irish problems, which for generations embarrassed our forefathers, as they now weigh heavily upon us.”

It is an interesting speech –of its time, of course. It would seem that Queen Elizabeth II studied it before making her speech in Dublin some years ago.

Prior to the negotiations which led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, Sinn Fein was holding out for independence and a single parliament for the whole island ofIreland. However, during the peace talks, in order to conclude a deal and, perhaps, prevent further bloodshed, Griffith and Collins and the others sent over by DeValera concluded –naively – that partition was a temporary little arrangement and that the Boundary Commission would end partition. They believed, it would return counties Fermanagh and Tyrone to the southern State and a four county statelet would be unviable. The Commission decided not to change anything.

James Craig MP for East Down and later mid – Down became the leader of the Unionist party in succession to the Edward Carson who had led the Unionist opposition to Home Rule for Ireland and never wanted Ireland partitioned. He was a junior minister in Lloyd George’s cabinet from 1917 till 1921 and was able to influence Irish policy. He was partly responsible for the choice of 6 counties rather than the nine counties of Ulster for the new statelet. He reluctantly accepted the Premiership of the new statelet and remained until his death in November 1940. He resisted Lloyd George’s attempt to have the Belfast parliament subordinate to the new parliament in Dublin. He ruled the 6 counties by remote control from Westminster with the help of a strong civil service, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the B-men.

Craig made no effort to be conciliatory. He was the man who stated in Stormont in1934: “I have always said I am an Orangeman first and a politician and Member of Parliament afterwards…all I boast is that we are a Protestant Parliament and a Protestant state.”  Craig did not share the king’s desire for reconciliation and peace on the island of Ireland. When will we get a Unionist leader who is brave enough to think about it and offer the Nationalist/republican people a generous proposal for a new agreed reunified country?

This is how the king’s speech in June 1921 continued: “Few things are more earnestly desired throughout the English speaking world than a satisfactory solution of the age long Irish problems, which for generations embarrassed our forefathers, as they now weigh heavily upon us.

Most certainly there is no wish nearer My own heart than that every man of Irish birth, whatever be his creed and wherever be his home, should work in loyal co-operation with the free communities on which the British Empire is based.

I am confident that the important matters entrusted to the control and guidance of the Northern Parliament will be managed with wisdom and with moderation, with fairness and due regard to every faith and interest, and with no abatement of that patriotic devotion to the Empire which you proved so gallantly in the Great War.

Full partnership in the United Kingdom and religious freedom Ireland has long enjoyed. She now has conferred upon her the duty of dealing with all the essential tasks of domestic legislation and government; and I feel no misgiving as to the spirit in which you who stand here to-day will carry out the all important functions entrusted to your care.

My hope is broader still. The eyes of the whole Empire are on Ireland to-day, that Empire in which so many nations and races have come together in spite of ancient feuds, and in which new nations have come to birth within the lifetime of the youngest in this Hall.

I am emboldened by that thought to look beyond the sorrow and the anxiety which have clouded of late My vision of Irish affairs. I speak from a full heart when I pray that My coming to Ireland to-day may prove to be the first step towards an end of strife amongst her people, whatever their race or creed. In that hope, I appeal to all Irishmen to pause, to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation, to forgive and to forget, and to join in making for the land which they love a new era of peace, contentment, and goodwill.

It is My earnest desire that in Southern Ireland, too, there may ere long take place a parallel to what is now passing in this Hall; that there a similar occasion may present itself and a similar ceremony be performed.

For this the Parliament of the United Kingdom has in the fullest measure provided the powers; for this the Parliament of Ulster is pointing the way. The future lies in the hands of My Irish people themselves.

May this historic gathering be the prelude of a day in which the Irish people, North and South, under one Parliament or two, as those Parliaments may themselves decide, shall work together in common love for Ireland upon the sure foundations of mutual justice and respect.”