Le Fanu v. Roberts
Members of the Church of Ireland Anti-Ritualistic Society, which opposed those engaging in suspicious ‘Romish’ practices, such as having lighted candles on an altar, religious images on walls or facing the ‘wrong’ way at religious services, continued to attend St John’s.
In August 1912, after issuing several letters of warning, Fr le Fanu laid charges of “church brawling” in the Magistrates Court before Mr Drury against William Roberts of Emorville Avenue on South Circular road and others. Mr Roberts was a member of the Orange Order and had participated in meetings at its headquarters at Fowler Memorial Hall, Rutland (now Parnell) Square, convened by their spokesman Frank Donaldson, protesting against St John’s. It was alleged in the Court that Mr Roberts ‘disturbed, vexed, troubled and disquieted’ the complainant while he was conducting the choral Holy Eucharist service. While the choir was singing the Creed, Mr Roberts allegedly shouted out the words ‘in a loud, offensive and irreverent tone’. The charges were denied. Counsel for Roberts, Wood Jefferson KC, alleged that the charges were all due to the incumbent and a substantial portion of the congregation wishing to stop the protestors from attending the church. Asked by Mr Drury why he did not go to another church more agreeable to him, Mr Roberts confirmed he, with others, attended St John’s ‘to qualify for being on the Vestry to assist the parishioners to get back the church from its present condition’. However, Mr Drury concluded that Roberts’ behaviour during the service must have disturbed the clergyman and the congregation. Mr Roberts was found guilty, fined £3 and ordered to pay £5 costs.
This decision was appealed in November at the City Sessions before the Recorder of Dublin, Thomas O’Shaughnessy. Defending Counsel on this occasion, Edward Sullivan Murphy (called after his godfather the now beatified Jesuit John Sullivan), emphasised the ‘irregularities’ in the service. He called the Rector of St Mary’s Donnybrook, the Revd Mr O’Doherty, to testify that Mr Roberts, who also attended St Mary’s, was ‘an excellent character’. This did not prevent the Recorder from upholding Mr Drury’s decision, expressing the hope that if “these gentlemen continue to attend the church there should be no interference with the service and a house of worship should not be turned into a house of contention.”
Members of the Church of Ireland Anti-Ritualistic Society, which opposed those engaging in suspicious ‘Romish’ practices, such as having lighted candles on an altar, religious images on walls or facing the ‘wrong’ way at religious services, continued to attend St John’s.
In August 1912, after issuing several letters of warning, Fr le Fanu laid charges of “church brawling” in the Magistrates Court before Mr Drury against William Roberts of Emorville Avenue on South Circular road and others. Mr Roberts was a member of the Orange Order and had participated in meetings at its headquarters at Fowler Memorial Hall, Rutland (now Parnell) Square, convened by their spokesman Frank Donaldson, protesting against St John’s. It was alleged in the Court that Mr Roberts ‘disturbed, vexed, troubled and disquieted’ the complainant while he was conducting the choral Holy Eucharist service. While the choir was singing the Creed, Mr Roberts allegedly shouted out the words ‘in a loud, offensive and irreverent tone’. The charges were denied. Counsel for Roberts, Wood Jefferson KC, alleged that the charges were all due to the incumbent and a substantial portion of the congregation wishing to stop the protestors from attending the church. Asked by Mr Drury why he did not go to another church more agreeable to him, Mr Roberts confirmed he, with others, attended St John’s ‘to qualify for being on the Vestry to assist the parishioners to get back the church from its present condition’. However, Mr Drury concluded that Roberts’ behaviour during the service must have disturbed the clergyman and the congregation. Mr Roberts was found guilty, fined £3 and ordered to pay £5 costs.
This decision was appealed in November at the City Sessions before the Recorder of Dublin, Thomas O’Shaughnessy. Defending Counsel on this occasion, Edward Sullivan Murphy (called after his godfather the now beatified Jesuit John Sullivan), emphasised the ‘irregularities’ in the service. He called the Rector of St Mary’s Donnybrook, the Revd Mr O’Doherty, to testify that Mr Roberts, who also attended St Mary’s, was ‘an excellent character’. This did not prevent the Recorder from upholding Mr Drury’s decision, expressing the hope that if “these gentlemen continue to attend the church there should be no interference with the service and a house of worship should not be turned into a house of contention.”
