“These bigots have nothing to offer us”
Reverend David Armstrong, 56, a rector at St Mary’s Church in Carrigaline Union, Co Cork, said he felt a deep sense of bewilderment and disbelief when he heard the Cork 2005 office had issued the invitation.
“I fear that ordinary decent Catholic people in the North will see Cork open its doors for this tribe of bigots to march through their streets,” he said.
“I feel a desire to tell my Catholic friends in Carrigaline that these people do not march in Cork representing me.
You have to stand up as a Christian and say no more bigotry and no more hate.
These men have very little to offer us in Cork.”
Rev Armstrong, his wife June, and their children Sarah and Mark, were forced to flee their home in Limavady, Co Derry, in the mid 80s after extending the hand of friendship to their Catholic neighbours.
They lived across the road from a Catholic Church. It was bombed in 1985.
“I was angry and I spoke out at the time and made it clear I was angry,” Rev Armstrong said.
“Threats came long. The bible was quoted to me by men in bowler hats who said this was God’s work.
“I was invited to go to the reopening of the church. My colleagues said they were too busy but I said I was going.
“The Orange Order then opened all their machines to stop me. Every means possible was used. But I went.
“I went through hell, utter hell afterwards. The abuse towards my family was disgusting. And each Christmas Day, the Catholic parish priest, Fr Kevin Mullan, invited me to speak in his church, and I invited him to my church to speak.
“I paid a very, very heavy price for this. Hell wasn’t hot enough for our family, we were put through the ringer.”
Rev Armstrong said he received a coffin with his name on the plate, wreaths were laid at his door and people would point their hands, shaped like a gun, at him and use finger movements to pull the trigger.
“They would phone up at night with people shouting down phone telling me how my children were going to be killed.
“They said we know you are changing the route you use to take your kids to school - we’re watching you.
“We had to flee after long consultation with the security forces.”
The Armstrongs moved to England with the help of Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiach, who described the events as one of the saddest moments in his life.
“In 2000, we came back to our native Ireland, saying ‘thank goodness’ we can live in peace and harmony with our wonderful Catholic neighbours in Cork and we don’t have to put up with those bigots,” Rev Armstrong said of his return to the Republic.
“But I fear we spoke too soon for down they come. The standard of an Orange Parade is a territorial claim - where they walk they own.
“I am speaking out to keep clear blue water between their behaviour and what I believe.
“They believe Catholics are not Christian.
“I am not a parade blocker. There is no use fighting intolerance by physically harming someone. That is wrong.”
But Rev Armstrong said if the Order takes part in the parade, he and his wife will not attend.
“We ignore bigotry, we turn our backs on bigotry,” he said.
