Republican News · Thursday 9 January 1996

Church attacks continue

Ballyargan Chapel near Scarva, County Down, was attacked on Christmas morning in a continued campaign of sectarian attacks on Catholic churches.

Minimal damage was done after the vandals were believed to have been disturbed. Parish Priest Fr Brian Hackett said he and his parishioners are just fed up with what have been a series of sectarian attacks on the isolated church.

Also in County Down, 18 Catholic graves were desecrated in the early hours of Christmas morning, headstones were pushed over and smashed and sectarian graffiti was daubed on grave surrounds.

One of the graves desecrated was that of 21 year old James McCartan who was killed by loyalist gunmen in 1972.

A relative of one of those buried in a vandalised grave said, ``this is the Catholic part of the cemetery, I know it wasn't a personal attack, just sectarian attacks on Catholic graves. It was very disheartening to see this on Christmas morning''.

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