Group told parade would be cancelled if they turned up

A woman who is part of the Repeal the Eighth movement in Leitrim says the voices of women were silenced by a decision of the St Patrick’s Day parade committee in Dromahair to threaten to cancel their parade if they turned up with an information stall.

The group decided not to show in view of the threat and also not to go to the Drumkeeran parade an hour later following similar sentiments expressed to Bernie Linnane of the Repeal group. She had indicated on social media a couple of days in advance of St Patrick’s Day that she and a small number of supporters would be in attendance at both parades. She saw it as a good opportunity to reach out to a rural community and had been to Manorhamilton and Carrick-on-Shannon several times in the recent past.

“It was a chance for people to come up to us and take our leaflets if the wish. Abortion is not mentioned in our leaflets and there is nothing inappropriate about them at all,” said Ms Linnane. She was contacted by a member of the Dromahair St Patrick’s Day committee who asked if she would be using a megaphone and he was told they wouldn’t be and that the group wasn’t entering the parade and would not interfere with it in anyway.

Another member of the committee rang on Friday morning to say they were the talk of the town and that if they went ahead and turned up the parade would be cancelled. He said they had a vote and the committee was in favour of cancelling.

Ms Linnane said she felt this was an extreme action to take and was upset by it but that in the circumstances she decided not to attend the parades in North Leitrim. She told The Sligo Champion that it was an issue of free speech and being pro or anti the forthcoming amendment had nothing to do with it.

“The issue is about whether a committee can force a group of women off the street. They had not right to tell us we cannot stand in the street,” she said.

She posted a message to the Dromahair committee’s Facebook page saying she no longer felt welcome or a valued member of the local community where she has lived for over ten years.

“I was shocked to learn the organising committee would go so far as to cancel the parade to prevent four women, three in their 50s and one in her 20s standing at a small table on the footpath and providing information on the upcoming referendum to those who enquired. I’m sure you are perfectly well aware that we did not need your permission to stand on a public footpath,” she wrote. She added: “I am disappointed that the parade committee was willing to go to such extremes to stifle our freedom of expression in this village. I would also be fearful for the future of any community which would stand over such actions. The people of Dromahair , especially our children deserve better. I wish you continued success with your parades. I look forward to the day when the women of Dromahair will be free to speak as they see fit and where they see fit.”

Ms Linnane said Leitrim women comprised the 2nd highest ratio of those seeking abortions in 2016 in the UK and the issue cannot be forced off the streets. The committee in a response on Facebook said the parade was a community event and to this end they could not be seen to be endorsing any side of the ongoing debate regarding the Eighth Amendment. Its response would have been identical if a group with the opposing viewpoint had indicated they would attend the parade in the same way.