Two incursions in seven days
Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin has requested the Minister for
Foreign Affairs David Andrews that two incursions by the British
Army into County Monaghan should be raised at the highest level
with the British authorities.
The latest incursion came on Sunday 12 July when a convoy of
eight British Army Land Rovers crossed the Armagh/Monaghan border
at Kerr's Height, Derrynoose. The crossing occurred at around 9pm
and the convoy drove onto the N2 Dublin/Derry Road four miles
from Monaghan town. After the incursion the British Army convoy
turned back up the lane known locally as Green Lane and travelled
towards Keady, County Armagh at the Drumboe border crossing.
Gardai arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and spoke to irate
local residents.
Exactly a week earlier two British Army Land Rovers made an
incursion into the Castleblayney area. Both vehicles crossed the
border from the Mountainy Road into the Mullyash area of the
county. Eyewitnesses said they travelled to McKelvey's Grove, on
to the main Castleblayney/Keady Road, crossing back into the Six
Counties at Tullinagrove. A local witness said they had flashed
lights and sounded horns.
Commenting on the two incursions Monaghan Councillor Owen Smyth
said:
``These crossings were clearly deliberate. On both occasions the
British Army travelled across the border on roads which were
signposted. It is significant that following complaints about the
first incursion on 5 July another incursion involving eight
vehicles should occur a week later. I believe there are elements
in the crown forces snubbing their noses at the Irish government
and at people in this county. For this to happen at a time of
such heightened tension in the Six Counties is doubly
unacceptable.''
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)