Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

Attacks on churches

Sectarian attacks on Catholic churches in the Six Counties continued last week. On Wednesday evening, 10 July, the Church of Our Lady in Harryville, Ballymena - the target of weekly, often violent, loyalist protests between September 1996 and May 1998 - was spattered with red, white and blue paint.

In County Antrim, the 18th century church at Aughnahoy near Portglenone was set alight early on Thursday morning after a security grille was removed and flammable liquid poured through a window at the rear of the building and set alight. The disused building was left with serious fire and smoke damage.

Sinn Féin Ballymoney councillor, Philip McGuigan, said: "These attacks are part of a wider loyalist campaign which has been ongoing throughout this area over the past year. This campaign has seen continuous loyalist attacks on churches, schools and homes."

Also on Thursday, a teenage boy was killed after being hit by a car during a pipe-bomb scare in nearby Ahoghill. Fifteen-year-old Jason Green of Carnmoyne, Ahoghill, died instantly in the collision which occurred as he cycled away from a Catholic-owned shop where the device had been left. The pipe bomb had failed to explode outside Dougan's furniture shop, which was recently rebuilt after having been burnt down in a previous attack.