Northern Ireland

Archbishop Robin Eames' 'private' intervention over parades

Archbishop Robin Eames
Archbishop Robin Eames Archbishop Robin Eames

CHURCH of Ireland Primate Archbishop Robin Eames privately asked RUC Chief Constable Sir Hugh Annesley, to make a statement in 1996 supporting the churchman's suggestion that a judicial figure might adjudicate on parades.

According to declassified files, the RUC's deputy chief constable Ronnie Flanagan told Northern Ireland Office (NIO) minister Sir John Wheeler of the request at a meeting on May 17, 1996 to discuss the looming Drumcree crisis.

Commenting on his reported support for the archbishop's suggestion in media interviews, Sir Ronnie told the minister that "he had never advocated the idea".

A 'please protect' note was inserted into the memo - a rare example of the civil service injunction seen in state papers and was intended to prevent news of the primate’s private appeal to the chief constable from leaking out.

Archbishop Eames' proposal was rejected as undermining the impartiality of the judiciary by Lord Chief Justice, Sir Brian Hutton, in a letter to Secretary of State Sir Patrick Mayhew on May 10, 1996.

Sir Brian said the judiciary considered there were substantial objections to a proposal on such a "highly contentious issue" .

A separate memo by the NIO's security director, dated May 9, 1996, stated that Fr Brian Lennon, a prominent Jesuit priest based in Portadown, Co Armagh, was critical of Archbishop Eames' stance on the contentious march.

The Parades Commission was established in 1998 following widespread disturbances over the Drumcree march.