§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of the fact that delegates representing the Gaelic Athletic Association, from the county Galway, at the annual congress of that body held at Dublin on 28th February last, were shadowed by detectives of the Royal Irish Constabulary; whether, on a former occasion, 25th February, 1907, five delegates from the same county were photographed by police detectives at Thurles, county Tipperary; whether these photographs were afterwards exhibited at the police stations at Gort and Athenry, and shown by the police authorities in both towns to various parties with a view of identification; and, having regard to the non-political and non-sectarian aspect of the association, will he explain the object of such proceedings?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAs regards the first part of the question it is not the practice to send detectives belonging to the Royal Irish Constabulary to do duty in Dublin, which is not within the constabulary area, and the police authorities inform me that they were not sent on this occasion. There 979W does not appear to be any ground for the allegations contained in the latter part of the question.