LIMERICK, Ireland – The city of Limerick finds itself embroiled in a distressing and persistent cycle of persecution, with Dr Long at the centre of this unsettling saga. On a recent Sunday night, the windows of his residence bore the brunt of yet another brutal attack, as unidentified assailants launched projectiles with malicious intent. What is perhaps even more alarming is that despite assurances of special protection for Dr Long’s abode, the authorities have failed to apprehend those responsible. This situation raises troubling questions about the state of law enforcement in the city and the apparent impunity enjoyed by the culprits.
It is essential to note that the absence of arrests in this case may not necessarily imply a dereliction of duty on the part of the police. Rather, it may shed light on a larger issue, one that implicates the very fabric of the community. These repeated acts of violence against Dr Long are indicative of a distressing pattern that seems to be perpetuated by certain influential figures in the city.
Leaders and guides within the community appear to tacitly encourage such acts, with a seeming lack of repercussions. When magistrates sitting on the Bench turn a blind eye to these offences, and when the Limerick Corporation attempts to divert attention from its own official neglect of the law by blaming the victim, the situation becomes even more disconcerting. The failure to hold perpetrators accountable only emboldens them further, resulting in a cycle of violence that refuses to abate.
Dr Long’s plight in Limerick stands as a stark and deeply troubling example of religious persecution in the modern era. It is a situation that demands the urgent intervention of the government to rectify this grave injustice. The question that looms large is whether the authorities will take decisive action to put an end to this distressing chapter in Limerick’s history or allow it to persist unabated, casting a long shadow over the city’s reputation and future.
Belfast News-Letter – Tuesday 03 December 1901
