Cowen hears of sectarian tensions

A loyalist blockade at a north Belfast school was on the agenda

The Republic of Ireland's minister for foreign affairs has appealed for people in north Belfast to exercise restraint after meeting a group of nationalist residents from the area to discuss recent sectarian tensions.

The delegation which met Brian Cowen on Wednesday included victims of recent violence where serious rioting led to a number of people being injured.

Parents of children in Ardoyne, who were prevented from going to the Holy Cross Girls Primary School at the end of June, when loyalists blocked their main route, also attended the meeting.

The school protests marked the start of a number of violent clashes between Catholic and Protestant residents in the area.

Sinn Fein councillor Margaret McClenaghan said they wanted to make the Irish Government aware of the problems facing nationalists in the area.

"This is to ensure that Brian Cowen and everyone else in his office is aware exactly of what is going on up here," she said.

I think the priority really would have been for people to resolve this at community level within this community here

Mark Coulter Glenbryn Residents spokesperson

"I think getting it from the people who are most affected by it is the best way of getting our message across.

"We want to see if his office can do anything or bear any pressure on anybody to get something done, particularly about these ongoing attacks."

In a statement issued after the meeting, Mr Cowen said he had asked Irish officials based in Belfast to continue to monitor developments in the north of the city.

He condemned the violence and called on all concerned to "exercise restraint", and to use whatever influence they can to lessen tension.

A spokesman for Protestant residents in the Glenbryn area of the Ardoyne, Mark Coulter, said the problems should be sorted out by the local communities.

"I think the priority really would have been for people to resolve this at community level within this community here," he said.

"I do not think it is at all helpful for people to go running 100 miles down the road to Dublin to raise the issues there when they can't make the effort to resolve the problem here."

He added: "We know there are genuine parents and genuine residents in Ardoyne who want to see the situation resolved.

"But there are others who are prepared to see this dragged out, take it back into September and see the same scenes on this road that we saw in June.

"We do not want that to happen."