RUC forced to use plastic bullets, water cannon as violence flares

The RUC fired baton rounds and deployed a water-cannon early today as violence flared at a bonfire in the Corcrain estate, Portadown, Co Armagh.

The crowd burned effigies of an RUC man and a "Fenian" and showered the police with stones, blast bombs and petrol bombs. One person was injured when the police fired baton rounds.

Portadown is expected to return to normal today as the town's Orange lodge attends the Armagh Twelfth at Killylea with other lodges in the county.

Members of the Portadown District Lodge will gather at Carleton Orange Hall in the town at 8.15 a.m. and parade to the Edenderry estate, where they will board buses for Killylea. They are expected to return to the Brownstown area of the town at about 4.45 p.m., when they will parade back to the Carleton Street hall and disperse.

However, the District Master, Mr Harold Gracey, and other lodge officers will maintain a vigil at Drumcree Hill and will not go to Killylea.

Mr David Jones, the lodge's information officer, said he was quite pleased with yesterday's protests in support of the lodge's stance at Drumcree. In response to a statement by the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, yesterday that protests involving the blocking of roads were unlawful, Mr Jones said it was unfortunate people had reached the position where such protests had to take place. He blamed the Parades Commission.

He would not comment on forceful criticisms of the leadership of the Portadown District Lodge made in yesterday's Irish Times by the Church of Ireland primate, Archbishop Robin Eames. The lodge "still stood by what we have been saying, that for two years we have been involved in negotiations, consultations, and talks to have the matter resolved".

"No one regrets the situation has not been resolved more than we do. If others had shown the same willingness to do so we would not be in this situation," he said.

Attempts to contact the Rev John Pickering, rector of Drumcree, for his comments on what Dr Eames said were not successful.

Portadown was comparatively peaceful early yesterday, with morning shopping giving way to a general shutdown by lunchtime. In the early afternoon a group of about 50 loyalists wandered the streets "blocking the traffic and generally messing", an RUC spokesman said.

Drumcree Hill was very quiet all day, with small numbers gathering there last night, although it was expected that familiar scenes would resume there early this morning.

Early yesterday morning a Church of Ireland hall at Aghalee, close to nearby Lurgan, was badly damaged in an arson attack which led to six men being detained in hospital. The men had been attending an Apprentice Boys meeting in the Aghalee Orange Hall, which is on the first floor of the Church of Ireland premises. All have since been released from hospital.

Developments in Northern Ireland today can be followed on the "Breaking News" section of The Irish Times on the Web at www.ireland.com