Loyalist protesters jeer Mass goers

"WATCH yourself going into the confessional," the protester shouted as the mother and her three daughters passed the gauntlet…

"WATCH yourself going into the confessional," the protester shouted as the mother and her three daughters passed the gauntlet of loyalists in Bushmills on Saturday night. "Look out for Brendan Smyth," said another. "Fenian bastards," said a couple.

Outside St Mary's Church in the Co Antrim village there were 60 protesters, one of them waving a Union Jack. In side 20 parishioners listened to the reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus Resentment and anger, these are foul things

The theme of the readings was forgiveness but there wasn't much sign of that in Bushmills, Ballymena or Dervock this weekend. This was a dubious first for Northern Ireland. Catholics blocked from attending Mass. Others taunted as they went to pray. This was revenge for Dunloy.

What did she think of the protest and the insults, the mother in the Bushmills church was asked. She shrugged. "Now what do you think anyone would think?" Mass over, she and her family walked quickly but confidently out of the little church, ignoring the demonstrators.

READ MORE

The protesters were led by Mr David McAllister, a local DUP councillor. As his followers crowded round, The Irish Times asked him was it morally justified to hurl such insults at people going to pray, some of them children?

"Was it fair to stop the Orangemen going to worship in Dunloy?" he retorted.

But taunting children with sexual innuendo, and scandalising an innocent priest? "This is a peaceful protest, we are not bothering anybody," said Mr McAllister.

He brought the discussion back to the issue of Dunloy where the previous Sunday, after the breakdown of an agreement between Orangemen and locals, the Orangemen were prevented by police from going to their place of worship.

"I know of two Protestant women who were taunted, and verbally abused in Dunloy," he said by way of apparent justification. "Aye, they were spat upon in Dunloy," said one of the loyalists.

"As Protestants we refuse to consent to Roman Catholics coming into a Protestant village to worship until those same Roman Catholics give back to Protestants their civil and religious liberties to parade the streets of Ulster," said Mr McAllister.

While the Mass was in progress a Protestant man remonstrated with the protesters gathered out side the church. He was called a "Fenian loving bastard".

After Mass the elderly priest, Father Seamus Clenaghan walked over to the protesters, and introduced himself to Mr McAllister. They shook hands. The man with the Union Jack fluttered it around the priest's head.

"Here's Father Ted," said one. But the priest's boldness quietened them temporarily.

Mr McAllister said it would be nice if the Catholic Church an nationalist politicians condemned the intimidation of Protestants: "that is going on province wide".

"It needs to be done all around, doesn't it", said Father Clenaghan politely, and the DUP man agreed. "After all we're here for only a short while," said the priest. And he referred to the reading. "They were most appropriate. They were all to do with forgiving one another, and of loving one another".

"Yes", said Mr McAllister.

And would they be back next week, the priest asked. Yes, with an even bigger crowd, said Mr McAllister to loud cheers. Father Clenaghan said the only way forward was through dialogue. He thought his encounter with the protesters had been useful.

At least in Bushmills the Catholics got into their church. At the same time in Ballymena up to 400 loyalists demonstrating outside Our Lady's Church prevented Catholics getting to Mass. Two of those were SDLP councillor Mr Declan O'Loan and his wife Nuala.

The police tried to clear a path for them into the church but according to Mr O'Loan, they were helpless in the face of the large crowd of protesters. "I have no doubt that this was orchestrated," he said. But by whom, he didn't know.

Morning Mass went ahead at Ballymena yesterday without protests, although a few loyalists gathered in small groups, observing Catholics going into the church.

About 20 miles away, in the predominantly Protestant village of Dervock, a group of loyalists protested outside the local Catholic church. The Union Jack was again waved. One of the demonstrators wore his Orange Order collarette. Some of them were clearly the worse for drink, even at 9.30 in the morning.

The SDLP representative for North Antrim, Mr Sean Farren, was jostled on his way into the church. The police officer in charge said the man would be prosecuted if Mr Farren wished. Mr Farren said he'd think about it. After Mass he was more sanguine. "I think I'll try and heed the priest's words about forgiveness," he said.

Mr Oliver McMullan, an independent councillor from Cushendall, first learned of the weekend protests from Protestants who were appalled at the nature of the demonstration. It's time unionist leaders came out and condemned this. This had nothing to do with Dunloy," said Mr McMullan. "This was just pure blind bigotry."

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty is the former Northern editor of The Irish Times