§ VISCOUNT GRIMSTON(for Colonel SAUNDERSON) (Armagh, N.)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he is aware that the Secretary of the Board of Works gave permission to the Roman Catholic Dean of Cashel to hold religious services in the Ruin on the Rock of Cashel on July 15 last; whether he is aware that such permission is in express contravention to the 25th section of the Irish Church Act; and, whether he will take steps that no such violation of the law shall again occur?
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN) (Dublin University)My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to answer this Question. The Board received an application from the Rev. Mr. Kinane for permission for a procession of Temperance and other Societies to visit the Rock of Cashel on July 15, and stating it was their intention to wind up with some prayers. He was informed, in reply, to the following effect—
That the provisions of the Irish Church Act strictly prohibited any structure vested in this Board for preservation as a national monument being used as a place of public worship; but as the Board understood that the proposed procession did not, strictly speaking, come within the prohibition above referred to, they would not raise any objection to its taking place.The Board, on learning by the newspaper reports that a formal religious ceremony had been held on the occasion referred to, immediately wrote to the Rev. Mr. Kinane to the effect that such proceeding as that which had taken place was a violation of the provisions of the Statute, and that they would not permit any religious ceremony to be held by any denomination at any national monument under their charge.