December 18 1924
WIRING from Omagh last night, our Special Representative stated – The Boundary Commissioners have transferred their headquarters from Enniskillen to Newtownstewart, midway between Omagh and Strabane. Today they inspected portions of the Tyrone, Donegal, and Fermanagh borders, visiting the well-known towns of Pettigo and Belleek.
They took the road from Enniskillen by the eastern side of Lough Erne, and the day being beautifully fine, with a spring-like mildness in the air, they thoroughly enjoyed the tour. The Nationalist majority in Enniskillen did not take any steps to place their views before the Commissioners while they were there. They are probably taking their stand on their demand for a plebiscite under Article XII, and on the results of the elections which they contested within the last few years, and which demonstrated their desire to be included in the Free State.
There is a large portion of the Border from Blacklion to Ballyconnell on the Cavan side which the Commissioners did not inspect, and in some quarters significance is attached to this. It is an irregular line, running mostly through a mountainous district, and the Commissioners may have considered the study of it on a large scale map sufficient for their purpose, though they do not seem to regard mountains as obstacles in their travels.
The road which they travelled from Enniskillen this morning is a nicely-wooded one, and there was a fine view of the lake for a good distance. Soon after leaving Kesh, close to the shores of the lake, the Commissioners began to manifest the keenest interest in that section of Fermanagh on the Northern shores of the lake which adjoins Donegal. The little town of Pettigo, which is almost completely in Donegal, and has a population of about 400, was entered. The RUC and National troops occupy positions about 100 yards apart on either side of the Border, the latter being housed in Mr Sean Leslie’s shooting lodge. There is also a Civic Guard Barracks on the Free State side of the Boundary. Quite a number of the residents witnessed the arrival of the Commissioners. As the party passed through the military barracks a guard of the Free State troops presented arms, and the Commissioners acknowledged the compliment by duffing their hats. They walked about the streets of the town for about a quarter of an hour, but did not have conversations with any of the inhabitants.
As the Boundary Commissioners did not speak much about their intentions during their informal tour of Ireland in December 1924, people guessed their intentions by the places they visited, which were all mainly close to the existing border.
