Explosion and fire at Speaker’s house

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32803, 31 December 1971, Page 13

Explosion and fire at Speaker’s house

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

BELFAST, December 30.

Fire severely damaged the country home of the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Parliament (Major Ivan Neill) early today, lhere was an explosion before fire gutted one wing of Major Neill’s mansion, at Rostrevor, 35 miles south of Belfast, the police said.

No-one was living ini the mansion at the time, and it was not under guard, as are the actual residences of top members of the Government.

Two intruders were chased from the grounds of the mansion six weeks ago. Major Neill and his wife are now living in an official residence at Stormont Castle, outside Belfast. A British solder was shot dead by a rooftop sniper on the outskirts of the Roman Catholic Bogside area in Londonderry today. He was hit in the head and chest when the sniper fired at a military patrol. Troops returned the fire, an Army spokesman said. The soldiers. death brings to 48 the number of troops killed in Britain’s Irish province this year. REPRISALS THREATENED ; In Londonderry last night, the Irish Republican Army’s

! local organisation threatened 'reprisals if the British Army continues a policy of frequent raids in Roman Catholic! areas.

“The wrecking of working-! class homes will be met,with retaliation against rich loyalist supporters of the Stormont and Westminster Governments,” said a statement by the I.R.A.’s official wing. During the night, security forces swooped on houses in Belfast and Londonderry and arrested a total of 27 men, seven of them reported on the list of wanted terrorists.

In Belfast today, and in the border town of Kiltyclogher, several other shooting incidents were reported. An Army post in the Falls area of Belfast came under attack from machine-gun fire and an Army vehicle in the Sandersonstown district was fired on by a hidden gunman. At Kiltyclogher, a group I of soldiers cratering a border road were shot at twice from the Irish Republic. At Drogheda, County Louth, on the Republican side of the border, fighting broke out between police and a hos-[ tile crowd while a man was charged in the local court-

house with the illegal pos- I .session of arms and ammunition. At today’s hearing, a farmer, Lian Fagan, aged 50. was ordered to be held in custody until he appears before a district court next month.

He was charged with being jin possession of a carbine,; 'two .303 rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition without a firearms certificate, being in possessions of explosives, and having firearms with intent to endanger life. 8.8. C. PROGRAMME The 8.8. C. appeared ready today to go ahead with a 150-

minute special programme on Northern Ireland on January 5, despite opposition by the British and Northern Ireland Governments and the withdrawal of planned participants, including the Rev. lan ! Paisley.

A 8.8. C. official, Mr Richard Francis, visiting Belfast 'yesterday, said: “I am here •I to see if the programme can ;be balanced. It will definitely Igo on on January 5.”

’ The programme had been [planned as a major effort. ■ with representatives of official and unofficial opinon in Bellfast and in the Irish Republic appearing before a three-man panel including q prominent ■ judge, and Lord Caradon, former British Ambassador to : the United Nations. The “Financial Times” to-

| day called on the 8.8.C.’s ! Government-appointed board to resign. “The board of governors lhas turned out to be a poor [guardian of the independence of what has for many years been the best public broad-

casting organisation in the [world. It should be replaced,” the article said. Journalists employed by the 8.8. C. threatened to stop work in Northern Ireland unless the 8.8. C. immediately lhalted censorship for news [from the province.

, A tract distributed in the [8.8.C. and among the news J media today asserted that ‘ producers, ■ reporters, and , technicians were meeting ini I creasing pressure to hold '[back, or censor, news and current affairs items from the 'province.

The pressure was hindering normal coverage of develop- ' ments, the tract said. Pro- ■ gramme chiefs were increas- ! ingly refusing to deal with 1 subjects concerning the

’ Northern Ireland problem for fear that they would be called on to cancel the items at the . last moment. I Politicians and organisa- ■ tions have been attacking : 8.8. C. reporting teams in i Northern Ireland in recent - months for a too complacent ; presentation of the point of view of the Northern Ireland • “terrorists.”