C of I pleads with men to leave cathedral

Church reaction: The Church of Ireland last night renewed its call for the Afghan hunger strikers to leave St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin after several of the men threatened to throw themselves from the organ gallery.

The dean of the cathedral, the Very Rev Dr Robert McCarthy, pleaded with the asylum seekers to end their protest and leave, a church spokeswoman said.

Some of the men threatened to hang themselves with ropes and shoelaces and to cut themselves with razors yesterday morning.

"The dean and the cathedral staff have pleaded with the men not to harm themselves and have asked them and have pleaded with them to leave the cathedral in these circumstances," she said.

Health Service Executive staff and dozens of gardaí were inside the cathedral yesterday. The dean had not asked the gardaí to forcibly remove the men, the spokeswoman said, but the threats of suicide had put the church in a difficult position.

Solicitors spoke to the men yesterday afternoon, but no resolution was reached.

The church was last night exploring further legal options to bring the situation to a conclusion, the spokeswoman said.