HC Deb 18 March 1889 vol 334 cc24-5
MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if his attention had been called to the reports of the Cork papers of the 6th just., to the effect that a meeting of the Young Ireland Society, of Fermoy, being held in their own rooms, to congratulate Mr. Thomas Barry, P.L.G., a member of the Society, on his release from Cork Prison, where he had been imprisoned under the Crimes Act, two sergeants of Constabulary, named Kelly and Black, and two constables (one of whom refused to give his name) entered the room, and, though called upon by the officers of the Society to leave, refused to do so; that Sergeant Black gave as an excuse, that he believed it was intended to hold a meeting of the "suppressed" branch of the National League, but, though informed such was not the case, the police persisted in remaining on private premises despite the protest of the members, and the Society thereon resented this intrusion by passing a condemnatory resolution in the presence of the constables; if he could state under what statute or authority the police committed what appeared to have been a trespass upon private premises; and if he would call for an explanation of their conduct upon this occasion?

*MR. MADDEN

I am informed that the police entered the room in which the meeting was about to be held under the belief that the meeting was to be one of the Land League. Inasmuch as the League had been proclaimed in that district, a meeting of that body would have been an unlawful assembly. The sergeant reports it as his belief that a meeting of the League would have been held on that occasion had it not been for the presence of the police.

MR. FLYNN

Does the hon. and learned Gentleman mean to say that the belief of the sergeant was a justification, that it entitled him to trespass upon private property?

*MR. MADDEN

I do not understand from the information before me that any trespass was committed, but if there was a trespass committed, of course, there is a remedy at law.

MR. FLYNN

Will the hon. and learned Gentleman make further inquiry whether the police acted upon belief only?

DR. TANNER

Is it not a fact that this very sergeant, only last year, was fined by the Fermoy Bench of Magistrates for deliberately and wantonly breaking an unfortunate man's head?

*MR. MADDEN

I have no information.

DR. TANNER

That was the case.