Around 90-100 years ago Belfast looked like a very different place. It had all the hallmarks of a British city rather than an Irish one. It was however an Irish city and one that was in the midst of much political wrangling at that time. Sectarian riots were plentiful and violent and between 1920 and 1922 the civilian death toll was 416 people. All this happened amongst the 1918 General Election, the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. For more details on this read it at my Northern Ireland History website.

Even if Belfast had managed to deal with the political side of things, the state of the economy at that time ensured that there were many people out of work with almost 20% of the population looking for a job and living in squalid conditions. Catholics were expelled from the Sirocco works, Mackies, the Shipyard, McLaughlin & Harveys, and Musgrave to name but some, and this further increased the sectarian divide. The IRA were still continuing with a campaign that persisted in the very centre of Belfast. A bomb had been planted for example in a manhole at Arthur Square in 1922 and there were regular confrontations between he IRA and the military and the police.

In 1920 the Ulster Unionist Council had revived the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Special Constabulary was set up in October 1920. That constabulary was divided into three categories

• A Specials numbering around 2,000 who would be paid full time and uniformed
• B Specials numbering around 19,500 who would be part-time, not paid, uniformed and serve in their own areas, and armed with weapons kept in the local police barracks
• C Specials who would be an unpaid reserve force identified by caps and armlets

So it was in 1920 that Northern Ireland came into being as a separate country with the Government of Ireland Act of 1920 and the first general election was held in May 1921. George V came to Belfast for the official opening attended only by Unionists as Nationalists and Republicans had refused to take their seats.

To give you a better sense of the time it is important to understand the mindset at that period. For example, women who had become pregnant outside or marriage could end up in Thorndale House which was the Salvation Army’s refuge. Once in there, the children would be adopted and the women trained to become domestic servants. Yes, this was only 100 years ago, but was a reality back then. In similar institutions, unmarried mothers were put to work in laundries. We also know now a lot more about this from films such as the Magdalene Laundries.

The first radio station opened in Belfast on the 15th September 1924, the BBC. The words of Tyrone Guthrie made the following opening words:

Hello, hello, this is 2BE, the Belfast station of the British Broadcasting Company calling.

Queens University was the only interdenominational educational establishment in Belfast in the 1920s. Winston Churchill attended a ragging ceremony there in 1926, the Ulster Unionists having now forgiven him for his attempt at introducing the Home Rule Bill. At that time his car had been stoned and he had been jostled by angry Unionists.

Stranmillis College was built between 1926-1929 and the Minister of Education, Lord Londonderry, hoped that both Catholics and Protestants could train together in this building. The reality was this was ignored as Catholic women went to St Marys Teacher training on the Fall’s Road funded by the Catholic Church and Catholic males received grants to attend Strawberry Hill in Middlesex.

In 1924 Belfast had the first municipal aerodrome in the United Kingdom when it opened in Upper Malone. Eason and Sons then used this service for delivery of newspapers from London and Elsie Irvine claimed to be the first fare paying passenger. She was flown by Captain R.H.Mackintosh also known as “All Weather Mac”.

In 1920 there were 38 motor car agents and hirers in Belfast.

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