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[Background - In early 1922 as sectarian tensions expoloded in the North of Ireland, particularly Belfast, the authorities in Dublin called on towns across the 26 counties to implement measures to support Northern Catholics. In this letter, Andrew Staunton, chairman of Ballinasloe UDC, lambasted the "non-Catholics" (i.e. Protestant community) in Ballinasloe for not speaking out against the attacks in Belfast. He proposed two solutions for the problem: an exchange of population between the North and South or the forcing "non-Catholics" in the South to take in Catholics from the North. - D. Mac Con Uladh]
War and Peace
Ballinasloe during the War of Independence (1919–1921) and the Civil War (1922–1923)
Local Newspaper Extracts
East Galway Democrat, Saturday, April 22, 1922
Correspondence
Ballinasloe April 19th, 1922.
To the Editor of the East Galway Democrat
Dear Sir,
I desire to bring under the notice of the Public the following: -
(1) The failure of non-Catholics in Ballinasloe and District to take any action in connection with the atrocities in Belfast.
(2) No protest have been made by this section although other parts of Ireland have done so.
(3) The non-Catholics here as in other parts of Ireland are amongst the most prosperous in the community
(4) Although a Conference has been held by the three Governments and certain recommendations made, non effective steps, so far as the Northern and English Governments are concerned, have been taken to honour the agreement arrived at.
(5) It is time a Conference of the leading people of Southern Ireland was held with a view to making an exchange of the Catholic Workers on Belfast for some of the large non-Catholic Landowners and business men, or as an alternative that families be migrated from Belfast and billeted on non-Catholic families outside the Six County Area, as this seems to be the only remedy to avoid the possible extinction of the Northern Catholics,
A. [Andrew] Staunton
Chairman [Ballinasloe] Urban Council.
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