Bid to attack priest at parade
A Catholic priest was verbally and physically attacked after missiles were thrown near Ardoyne shops and in Brompton Park during the loyalist Tour of the North parade in Belfast on Friday night.
Father Gary Donegan fended off his would-be attacker after challenging him as trouble flared after the parade had passed.
One bandsman needed hospital treatment for head injuries after being struck by a missile.
Many months of preparation with community workers had gone into ensuring the Ligoniel True Blues lodge feeder parade did not flare into significant violence.
Tommy Cheevers of the North and West Belfast Parades Forum claims the Parades Commission determination was breached.
But PSNI local commander Mark Hamilton welcomed the generally peaceful nature of the event, which is the first major setpiece of the loyalist summer marching season.
He said: “We welcome the fact that the parade has passed off without major incident. This is testament to the dedicated work that has gone on behind the scenes by parade organisers, protest organisers and community leaders.””
“Unfortunately a small element was intent on using young people and children to create disorder.”
Sinn Fein MLA and junior Minister Gerry Kelly blamed dissident republican elements for stoking up the trouble.
A handful of golf balls were hurled by youths near the Ardoyne shopfronts.
But Gerry Kelly said he was pleased there was no major incident.
“A number of individuals from certain micro groups attempted to entice young people in the area into attacking the parade.”
“Thankfully many of the young people approached me and other community representatives to inform us of this fact and stated very clearly that they would not be engaging in this type of activity.”
“Sadly however these individuals succeeded in enticing a small number of vulnerable young people into attacking the parade with stones.”
“It is now up to those groups and those individuals to explain themselves to the people of Ardoyne; to explain to stand over, before the people of Ardoyne, the fact that they chose to entice young people, not themselves, into attacking the passing parade.”
Father Donegan, parish priest at Holy Cross in Ardoyne, said his treatment was a sign of a lack of respect for authority.
“Probably that young person doesn’t recognise my authority, or anybody else’s for that matter”, he said.
Father Donegan added that, given the parade’s history, he was relieved the violence was no worse. He told UTV: “It was more a case of young people winding themselves up on social networking sites.”
“But the people of Ardoyne and the statutory bodies, including the PSNI, police the march very well and it passed relatively peacefully.”
