IRELAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 240, 3 July 1908, Page 7

IRELAND.

UATTLE-mUVINU: COST OF POLICE.

(DT TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.)

Loft'lm, July 1. 1 In the House'bf Commons, the Right Hon. A. Birrell, Chief Seerotary for Ireland, said the cost of extra constabulary owing to cattle-driving in Ireland was £47,000. ; FIGHT NEAR BALLINASLOE. "The cattle-driving agitation has broken out with renewed: virulence in the south and west of Ireland (writes tho "Express" of May 7), and a large number-of disturbances were re-' ported yesterday. A fierce battle _ was fought • between 'the-! and the police on Tuesday at Gralla Farm, near Ballinasloe, and after a .number of people had been injured the police were driven off. ' "Between two and three hundred men as- 1 sombled at the farm armed with sticks and headedby a baud to drive off the cattle. They wero met by a force of forty policemen, who tried to protect the cattle, and after some scuffling the officer in command ordered a baton charge. The crowd fought with sticks and stones, and . many of the police'were injured. Head Constable Murphy was badly, hurt. .

"Finally tlie police were forced to retire, and tho mob; remained in possession of the farm. The mob was liberally provisioned by sympathisers, who sent oartloads of food from Ballina6loe,:and.it.was also reinforced." In the recent debate in the House of Com- e mous on the Crimes Act, Mr. Haviland Burker .- Nationalist 'memier for Tullamore, declared/ "As much • blundering, cruelty, and. injustia have been, shown by Liberal Governments a> by Tory Governments." - .