Northern Ireland

On This Day in 1918 : Baton charge after GAA teams meet to play without permit

A baton charge was ordered after GAA players met to play without a permit 
A baton charge was ordered after GAA players met to play without a permit  A baton charge was ordered after GAA players met to play without a permit 

A SCUFFLE between police from Ballymena (County Antrim) and the adherents of two Gaelic football teams is reported as having taken place at Crossroads in the Glens district, near Ballymena, on Sunday afternoon.

It would appear that the teams met at the appointed time to play without having sought or obtained the necessary permit.

A force of police from Ballymena was in attendance under District Inspector W J McGinley and the footballers and their friends were requested to disperse. When a section of the crowd refused to leave, a baton charge was ordered and the field cleared. No arrests are reported. 

Permits and passports

IN the House of Commons yesterday, Mr John Dillon, in a crowded chamber, raised the question of privilege. He said a new regulation had been passed whereby Irish MPs were no longer allowed to discharge their duties in Parliament without producing a police permit.

He had been informed that permits were not necessary to attend Westminster, but only to return to Ireland and he wanted to know whether an Irish MP was liable to be interned in England for the rest of his natural life (laughter).

The new regulations meant it was impossible for Irish members to attend to their Parliamentary duties except by the permission of the Police Office in Dublin.

There was another point. The member for Donegal (Mr Swift MacNeill) was obliged to give his photograph (laughter).

He submitted that this was an unpardonable outrage on the privileges of the House. It would place a new power in the hands of the Irish Executive.

Another point was that Irish members could not address their constituents without a permit – an unparalleled thing even in the history of Ireland.

The Speaker said he did not express an opinion.

Ards Nationalist Rally

A VERY large and enthusiastic meeting of the Nationalists of Ballycran, Ballygalget, Lecale and Portaferry (County Down) was held on Sunday near Portaferry. Close on 3,000 assembled.

Mr John T Donovan [MP, Wicklow] said they met that day under circumstances which might easily daunt the spirit of men not inured to generations of fighting for civil, religious and political liberty.

They in that corner of North-East Ulster had lived under the shadow of Ascendancy all their lives. But he confessed that that section of Irishmen who called themselves Sinn Feiners were largely, if not entirely, to blame for bringing Ireland to its present dangerous position.

There was one rule for Unionist and Orange Ulster and another for Catholic Ireland.