§ CAPTAIN J. CRAIGI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to an outrage which took place on the 20th February last, when the houses of two men named John MacNamara and John Monaghan, both living at a place called Ballyboy, on the Gough estate, county Galway, were fired into; can the police assign any reason for this outrage; have any arrests been made; and can he say what steps, if any, have been taken to bring the perpetrators to justice?
§ MR. BIRRELLThe houses of the two men named in the Question were fired into on the early morning of 19th February. It would be irregular and contrary to practice to state the opinions of the police as to the motive for offences. No arrests have been made. The police are still pursuing their investigation of the matter, and are using all possible efforts to discover the offenders.
§ MR. DUFFY (Galway, S.)Is it not the fact that these two men are closely connected with the Nationalist organisation in the district, and is there not a strong suspicion in the neighbourhood that the shots were fired at the instigation of a local gentleman?
§ MR. BIRRELLInquiries are being made.