DERRY DAY IN IRELAND.

Kumara Times, Issue 962, 1 November 1879, Page 4

DERRY DAY IN IRELAND.

On August 15 Derry Day was celebrated in the North of Ireland with the usual demonstrations, which of late years have made it a set-off, like St. Patrick’s Day, against the Orange anniversaries. It has, unfortunately, been divested of its purely religions character and degenerated into an.occasion for the exhibition of sectarian rancor and party spirit. This change is the more to be regretted as it has led to collisions and riots, attended in many instances with fatal consequences. Scarcely a year passes in which lives are not lost in these lamentable feuds, and this year is no exception to the rule. The commemoration passed off quietly in Belfast, where disturbances were apprehended; hat there were disturbances in other places, and in Lurgan a severe riot, in Which three persons were shot, one of them dead. The authorities had taken all possible precautions to preserve the peace, and during the early part of the day the town wore its usual tranquil appearance and they were beginning to congratulate themselves upon the prospect. An extra force of constabulary, numbering 200 men, had been drafted into the town, and were placed under the command of Captain Redmond, resident magistrate, of Dungarvan, who was assisted by other officers. A procession, numbering about 2000 persons, left the town, accompanied by two bands, for Moynagb, where they were to be joined by others, and then proceeded to Milltown, on the borders of Lough Neagh, where they were to hold a Home Rule meeting. The processionists wore green sashes and carried flags and banners bearing national inscriptions. In the town there was a green arch with a cross formed of laurel suspended from it, but no other emblem was exhibited. There was no opposition offered to them when leaving, and it is probable they would not have been molested on the return but unluckily the factory operatives were released for the dinner hour, and thus a new and rather dangerous element was added to the mass of spectators who assembled to see the procession. The whole aspect of affairs suddenly changed, and symptoms of disorder and ' violence were soon observed. A very small incident was enough to inflame the excited passions of the two parties. An attempt was made to pull the green sash off one of the processionists, and this led to a scuffle, which speedily expanded into a general fight between the processionists and the spectators. The police promptly interfered and endeavored to clear the streets by charging them with drawn batons, but they found themselves exposed to a fierce attack from both parties, who sent showers of stones upon thom and injured many of them. Captain Redmond was struck several times, and Head Constable Hindman received a severe cut on the temple. They were placed between two fires, which, whether directed against them or the opposite factions, were very severe and placed them in imminent peril. There was a panic among the peaceable spectators, who sought refuge in the shops. After many ineffectual attempts to clear the ■ streets Captain Redmond read the Riot Act and ordered the police to fire. About half a dozen constables discharged their rifles, and when the smoke was blown off and the ground could be seen it was found that a poor boy named Fnrfey, who had run out of his father’s house a few minutes before to see the procession, was lying dead within a few yards of his own door. His sister was shot in the arm but not dangerously. A man was also shot in the leg, which had to be amputated, and be has since died. Another man had a very narrow escape, a bullet having grazed his cheek and passed through the lobe of his ear. The mob was immediately paralysed with fear and soon dispersed, but there is great excitement amongst the police, and it is alleged by some of the people that the Riot Act was not read at all. This statement, however, has proved to be incorrect. Notwithstanding the occurrence, the processionists pursued their course and held the meeting at Milßown, where a resolution was passed condemning the conduct of the police. During the fray the excitement in Lurgan was intense. Shots were fired repeatedly in the streets, and the police while partrolling were attacked and fired upon. At Downpatrick the the Orangemen assembled the previous night in force in order to attack the Home Rulers, who it was reported were determined to put up an arch. The police were on the alert and preveted the erection of the arch. They had great difficulty in keeping the two parties asunder. In the morning the Home Rulers marched out in procession, with flags flying and drums and fifes in vigorous play, to take part in the demonstrations at Dundrum. On the flags were such inscriptions as “ God bless the Pope, “ Home Rule for Ireland,” and “ Remember Emmett.” The meeting at Dundrum numbered about 1500 persons who went in procession in an orderly manner. Many districts were represented, and the banners had on them the harp without a crown, and the usual mottoes “God save Ireland,” “Erin-go-Bragh,” and others already stated. A complaint was made in a petition to Parliament that catholics were restricted from assembling in the same way as Protestants. Similar demonstrations were held at Dungannon and Oookstown, County Tyrone. The day passed off quietly in Newry and Enniskillen. At Keadjr iu the county Armagh there was a small tennant-right meeting. The rioting at Lurgan was resumed the next night. At a late hour a mob collected in Edward-street, and began to wreck the houses of the Protestants in the district. The shop of Mr Nicholson was demolished and the goods, carried

away, the empty boxes being kicked about the street. A force of about 200 police charged the mob at the point of the bayonet, but were driven back in the direction of Hill-street. The magistrates had ordered the street lamps to be lighted in this street, but as soon as the disturbance commenced they were extinguished. The mob fired several times at the police. A man, said to be a ringleader in the charge on the police, had an arm shot off, Two deaths and many severe injuries have resulted from these riots, which lasted for several days.

Further information states that eleven policemen were injured, six of them being unfit for duty. The mob afterwards made an attack on Lord Lurgan’s property, and wrecked one of the gate lodges. The rioting was renewed on Saturday night. Shows were broken into, and the rival mobs fired at each other with rifles. The police were driven back and twenty of them injured. One man was severely injured by an explosion of dynamite which he had in his possession. Quiet has since been restored. The inquest upon the body of the boy Furfey was concluded on Monday. The jury consisted of twelve Protestants and eleven Catholics. The twelve Protestants returned a verdict that the deceased came to his death by a gunshot wound produced by a ball while the police were firing on a riotous mob in the discharge their duty. The Catholic jurymen handed in a written statement to the effect that there was no justification for the firing. The verdict of the majority was accepted. One of the wouuded men, a member of the Home Rule procession named Smythe died on Tuesday night. It was found necessary to amputate his leg, and he succumbed to the shock o the system. Some of the Roman Catholics mode an effort to have Captain Redmond placed under arrest for ordering the police to fire on the procession, but the magistrates refused to take such a course. An effigy of Captain Redmond was burnt on Monday night, but there was no serious rioting. The Pall Mall Gazette says : —“There are two days in the year—the 12th of July and the 15th of August—on which rioting occurs somewhere in Ireland with various degrees of violence, but with unchanging regularity. The occasion of the riot is always the same—a Protestant procession in July, a Roman Catholic procession in August. There are two ways in which order might be maintained, neither of which the Irish Government seem to be willing to adopt. One is to forbid processions on these days and to put down with all needful severity any attempt at organising one. The other is to accept processions as a lawful exercise of a citizen’s rights, and to use the police and if need the military for the protection of those who take part in them. The plan at present pursued borrows something from each of these methods. A procession is allowed to start, and then if it is attacked the police treat processionists and assailants as equally offenders against the law. Which of the above alternatives would be proper one may be a question. But there can be no doubt that either of them would be better than a little of both.”