ARMAGH CLASH DISTURBS PEACE IN ULSTER

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31973, 28 April 1969, Page 13

ARMAGH CLASH DISTURBS PEACE IN ULSTER

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright*

BELFAST, April 27. Militant Roman Catholics and Protestants resumed their street-fighting over Northern Ireland’s civil rights issues last night, but in only one city, Armagh, where St Patrick introduced Roman Catholicism to Ireland.

All over Ulster, police stations were ready for trouble all day yesterday, but late last night police headquarters in Belfast reported that there had been no serious disturbances. A contributing factor to the calm, the police said, might have been the fact that most wouldbe demonstrators were watching the English soccer cup final on television.

Early in the day, two bishops, one a Roman Catholic, the other a Protestant, toured Londonderry, appealing to both sides to refrain from further violence. About the same time, 250 British troops arrived from England to reinforce those already guarding Northern Ireland's key utility and communications centres, which have been the targets of saboteurs for the last week.

In the Armagh market square last night, squads of police used their truncheons to separate about 150 Roman

> Catholic demonstrators from; . nearly 2000 Protestants. At least seven of the de-: ' monstrators were injured. | The fighting in Armagh,, I where St Patrick established! . his holy seat as Bishop of I

11 Ireland in the fifth century, I i shattered what had been a < •I peaceful day throughout the | province. 1 ~ The disturbance began I I shortly after a rally by about i 'l4OOO Protestants to welcome 1

three militant leaders recently released from prison. The leading Protestant extremist, the Rev. lan Paisley, is still In gaol on a six-month sentence for organising unlawful assemblies.