09/11/2001

Residents resume school protest in Ardoyne

Protestant residents in the Glenbryn area of north Belfast have resumed their protest outside the Holy Cross Primary School in Ardoyne on Friday afternoon.reacted angrily to a decision by parents of local school children to walk up the Ardoyne Road, claiming they were told parents had agreed to take their children to school via the Crumlin Road entrance because of the gesture by the protestors to call off the demonstration.

Although on Thursday the Glenbryn residents had agreed to call off the daily protest outside the Holy Cross Primary School, so that 15 local school children could concentrate in taking Friday’s 11 plus exam, the protest resumed on Friday afternoon.

Glenbryn residents said that parents verbally abused a number of Protestant mothers as they took their children to the Holy Cross Primary School.

Earlier in the day Father Aidan Troy, chairman of the Holy Cross Board of Governors, described the decision to call off the protest on Friday morning as "wise" as school children prepared to take their exams.

Protestant residents from the Glenbryn area of Ardoyne, where Holy Cross Girls' Primary School is situated, have been protesting since September against alleged attacks by the larger Catholic community in the area.

This week the protesters agreed with the police to move back slightly so that the police could dispense with wearing riot gear while escorting the pupils to school. (MB)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

02 March 2018
Schools Closures Across NI
The Department of Education have published a list of all schools across that have confirmed they will be closed today, Friday 2nd March, 2018 due to the adverse weather conditions.
22 January 2013
Heavy Snow Closes Over 80 Schools
Over 80 schools across Northern Ireland have been closed as the heavy snow continues to cause disruption on Tuesday morning. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning, as the snow is continuing to affect many roads. Areas which have been majorly disrupted include Lisburn, Castlereagh and Carryduff.
25 October 2001
Human Rights Chief calls for end to Holy Cross protest
The head of the Northern Ireland human Commission Brice Dickson has called for loyalists to end their protest at the Holy Cross school in north Belfast.
10 September 2001
Loyalist protest at Ardoyne school continues
Loyalists whistled and shouted abuse at parents of Holy Cross Primary School children in north Belfast on Monday as the dispute between Catholics and Protestants entered its sixth day. Residents stayed silent as children, escorted to school by their parents, were given a police escort through the Protestant Glenbryn estate to the school gates.
28 August 2001
No resolution over flashpoint school access
With just days to go before primary school children are due to return to their classes the dispute over access to the Holy Cross Girls’ Primary School in the Ardoyne area of Belfast has yet to be resolved. Ongoing talks between residents and community leaders have failed to find a solution to the problem.