§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that a party of Catholic excursionists on their way from Armagh to the scene of some sports at Maghery, on Sunday, 5th July, instant, were groaned at and. insulted by a crowd of Orangemen, who waved Orange emblems and shouted that they would attack the excursionists on their way back, that the route back of the excursionists was arranged. between the police inspector and one of the former, and that the route was strewn with broken glass and many of the excursionists' cycles injured thereby; whether he is aware that at Canary Orange Hall 100 or so of the Orangemen assembled, armed with pitchforks, spades, and crowbars; whether, when half the excursionists had passed the Hall, shots were fired at them, several pellets striking the horses and the brakes, to the great alarm of the women and children, and that on the same day an attack was made on a car conveying one of the excursionists 851 for medical treatment; whether any arrests have been made in connection with these occurrences, or whether the police have made any report concerning them; and what action will be taken to prevent a recurrence of such scenes.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The police authorities inform me that on Sunday, 5th July, a party of Catholic excursionists proceeded from Armagh to Maghery, but were not interfered with by Orangemen on the way, although some contingents passed through exclusively Orange localities. At one of these places a crowd had assembled at the Orange Hall, but the police arranged with the excursionists that there should be no drumming while passing through this locality, with the result that there was no disturbance. When the excursionists reached Canary on the return journey, a crowd of Orangemen, some of whom had pitchforks, opposed their passage. The police and the leaders on both sides arranged that there should be no band playing by the excursionists, who then passed unmolested. After the party had passed and were out of range several shots were fired by the Orange party, out of bravado, but the shots could not have reached the horses and brakes. The police have no knowledge of any attack made upon a car. It is the fact that broken glass was strewn on the roads in a few places. The police authorities state that this was the first occasion on which a Nationalist procession had passed by this route. The attitude of the opposing party at Canary was menacing, but nothing took place which would warrant a prosecution. The police did everything that was possible to preserve the peace and protect the excursionists, and they appear to have done so with success, seeing that no injury has been reported.