Dolly's Brae conflict

The violence led directly to the Party Processions Act, curtailing activities perceived to be sectarian in Ireland.

The Orange Order experienced a revival, having been suppressed in previous years and were once again allowed to hold processions, which they did.

Early in 1849, a riot broke out in Crossgar in County Down raising tensions before the traditional Orange marching season in July.

[2] In 1848 local magistrates had persuaded South Down Orangemen to re-route their annual 12 July march away from areas with a majority Catholic population.

[4] A large group of Catholics from both the local area and beyond attempted to prevent the Orangemen from marching through the Brae.

However, the large police presence and the intervention of two Catholic priests seeking to prevent physical conflict meant that there was no attack.

[3][6] Government estimates placed the number of dead Catholics at over thirty, with no casualties among the Orangemen and one injury on the police side.

[8] The uproar over the conflict led directly to parliament passing the Party Processions Act of 1850, which prohibited open marching, organised parades and sectarian meetings.

Actions such as using banners, emblems and flags constituted an offence, as did music "calculated or tend to provoke animosity".

As well as the act of parliament Roden and two other Orange magistrates were dismissed from the magistracy, following a report by Walter Berwick QC, which criticized their handling of the incident.

Ulster Protestant soldiers serving in the British Army at the Somme are said to have shouted 'Remember Dolly's Brae' as they went into battle.