HC Deb 10 December 1888 vol 331 cc1589-90
MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he can state whether his attention has been called to the fact that Father Kennedy, R.C.C., Meelin, County Cork, was arrested on Friday morning at an early hour whilst dressing, and that Head Constable Connolly of King-williamstown, and a large party of police, broke in the windows of his house and arrested him in his bed-room; is he aware that Father Kennedy, and other accused parties from Meelin, attended a fortnight ago at Newmarket Courthouse to surrender themselves, as bound under recognizances, but no magistrate attended; and, can he state why a Resident Magistrate did not attend on the said appointed day?

THE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN (Mr. SEXTON) (Belfast, W.)

also asked, If the right hon. Gentleman will state the circumstances of the arrest of Father Kennedy at Meelin yesterday?

THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN)(who replied) (Dublin University)

said: The Rev. M. B. Kennedy was arrested at 10 minutes before 9 o'clock on the morning named. Before entering the house the police had demanded admittance by knocking for 20 minutes; but, although they saw people moving about inside the house, no reply was made. The Head Constable and one other constable then entered through one of the windows. They waited while Mr. Kennedy was dressing, and then arrested him. I am informed that it is not the fact that he attended at Newmarket Court-house a fortnight ago to surrender himself; neither did the other parties who were convicted with him. As a matter of fact, on the 23rd of November a Resident Magistrate was on duty at Newmarket all day.

MR. SEXTON

Is it not a fact that the police began to knock at the house at half-past 7, and because the maids of the house were not up that they broke through the window and arrested Father Kennedy in the act of dressing?

MR. MADDEN

No, Sir; the information I have received is directly opposed to such statements. The police knocked for 20 minutes before 10 minutes to 9, and afterwards they waited while the priest was dressing.

MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)

Is it not a fact that on last Friday fortnight Father Kennedy, and several others accused, went to the Newmarket Court-house and were ready to surrender themselves; but the Resident Magistrate, who ought to have been present, was not there?

MR. MADDEN

No, Sir. Major Hutchinson, the Resident Magistrate, was on duty there all that day.

MR. FLYNN

Will the hon. and learned Gentleman contradict his statement in the public Press?

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!