November 22 1925
The Boundary crisis has been brought to a head by the resignation of the representative of the Free State from the Commission.
The following official announcement was issued by the Free State Government: -
“Dr [Eoin] MacNeill has tendered to the Executive Council his resignation as member of the Irish Boundary Commission. The resignation was accepted”.
Whether Mr Justice [Richard] Feetham, the British Government’s representative, and Mr JR Fisher, the representative of Northern Ireland appointed by the British Government, will meet again as a Commission, or whether there will be an attempt to issue anything in the nature of a report or an award remains to be seen.
Speaking at Emyvale, Co. Monaghan, Mr Cosgrave denounced the activities of British politicians and Press, culminating in the “Morning Post” forecast, to prejudice the Commission in their interpretation of the terms of reference, which, he asserted emphatically, do not permit of the taking away of any territory from the Free State. Dr MacNeill, he said, had lost faith in the other members of the Commission and resigned. The situation called for the serious consideration of the British Government, and the Free State Government would consider what steps would have to be taken to “prevent the infliction of injustice on our people”.
Mr [Ernest] Blythe, Minister of Finance, denounced the terms of Mr Justice Feetham’s draft report, and said if there was any attempt on the part of the two remaining members of the Commission to issue such a report or award a ridiculous farce would be converted into a “great tragedy”.
It was learned in Dublin last night that a conference had been arranged between Free State and British Ministers for November 24, and it was understood that the Free State Ministers would meet the members of the Boundary Commission for the purpose of arranging as to the disposal of the documents of the Commission.
It is believed, however, that following the announcement of Dr MacNeill’s resignation the arrangements for the conference were cancelled by the Dublin Government, and nothing has since transpired as to their intentions.
The Irish Boundary Commission collapsed after Eoin MacNeill resigned from the Commission on November 20, claiming ‘that a situation of extreme gravity had arisen in Ireland consequent on the Morning Post Revelations’, even though he had been fully aware of the Commissions’ proposed award from mid-October which was in line with the Morning Post’s “revelations”.
