§ MR. J. DEVLIN (Belfast, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that on the28th January, 1907, the authorities of Dublin Castle, in response to a petition from the Catholic inhabitants of the townland of Cloveneden, in the parish of Loughall, in the county of Armagh, stated that they had issued instructions to the local police that the Cloveneden band of the Ancient Order of Hibernians should be permitted to proceed from the Hibernian Hall via a bye-road, passing the Catholic curate's house, to the county road leading to the Catholic chapel; that on the 18th March, 1907, a force of forty police, under the command of Inspector Hussey, contravened these instructions, refusing to allow the band to take this route, compelling them to go by a swampy track by the Moy Road to Armagh, three miles out of their way; that on that date the Orangemen were permitted to parade all day up and down on the road leading to the Catholic chapel with sticks and firearms, the police looking on; and that on the 25th of the same month (a holiday) the police again refused to allow the band to go in procession from their hall to the Catholic chapel stating that they would use physical force to prevent the band so doing, though the Hibernians had fulfilled the request of Dublin Castle that due notice of the procession should be given to the police authorities; and whether he will take steps to secure that in future Catholics will be permitted the use of the King's high road, in conformity with the Law of the land and the instructions of Dublin Castle.
§ (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The instructions to the police are as stated in the Question, but they apply solely to 492 occasions on which the band is about to proceed to or towards the Catholic chapel. The band has been distinctly informed that it cannot be allowed to go in the opposite direction, namely, over Cloveneden Hill, which would be both an unnecessary and provocative proceeding. The members of the band gave notice to the police that they intended to go to Armagh on 18th March. The police refused to permit them to proceed by the route over Cloveneden Hill, and required them to go by an alternative route which is somewhat shorter. The route which the band was obliged to follow is in bad repair, but the other route is in a similar state. There is no foundation for the statement that the Orangemen were permitted to parade all day on the road leading to the Catholic chapel. It is not the fact that on 25th March the police refused to allow the band to proceed to the chapel; on the contrary, arrangements had been made to send a large force of police to protect the procession, but the procession was abandoned. The band can proceed by a direct route to any destination without passing over Cloveneden Hill, and in doing so will receive full protection from the police. For the reasons already stated, it cannot be permitted to pass over Cloveneden Hill.