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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Paint bombs thrown at town church | Paint bombs thrown at town church |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| There has been an attack on the Catholic church in the Harryville area of Ballymena. | There has been an attack on the Catholic church in the Harryville area of Ballymena. |
| Two paint bombs struck the front door of the Church of Our Lady, where Mass-goers endured weekly loyalist pickets between 1996 and 1998. | Two paint bombs struck the front door of the Church of Our Lady, where Mass-goers endured weekly loyalist pickets between 1996 and 1998. |
| SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan said it would set back efforts to repair divisions in the town. | SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan said it would set back efforts to repair divisions in the town. |
| A loyalist community group from the area has said it will help clean up the paint. | |
| Geoff Calderwood, chairman of Harryville Ulster Scots Society, was at the church on Tuesday morning to view the damage. | Geoff Calderwood, chairman of Harryville Ulster Scots Society, was at the church on Tuesday morning to view the damage. |
| "We are working to make Harryville a better place and we do not want this sort of thing," he said. | |
| However, he said his group had made inquiries in the area and "nobody knows anything about the attack". | |
| He said he believed dissident republican supporters may have been responsible in an attempt to have the blame put on loyalists. | |
| Mr O'Loan said there had been several attacks on the church through the years. | Mr O'Loan said there had been several attacks on the church through the years. |
| "But it has been largely undisturbed for some time. So it is very regrettable to hear of this further attack." | "But it has been largely undisturbed for some time. So it is very regrettable to hear of this further attack." |
| Sinn Fein's North Antrim assembly member Philip McGuigan called the attack "disgusting". | Sinn Fein's North Antrim assembly member Philip McGuigan called the attack "disgusting". |
| "In the past we have seen petrol bombs, graffiti and windows smashed. | "In the past we have seen petrol bombs, graffiti and windows smashed. |
| "It truly sickens me that people would go out and do this sort of damage purely to fuel their hatred for Catholics," he said. | "It truly sickens me that people would go out and do this sort of damage purely to fuel their hatred for Catholics," he said. |
| Last year, members of Protestant church congregations in Ballymena helped to clean paint off the walls of the Church of Our Lady after attacks. | Last year, members of Protestant church congregations in Ballymena helped to clean paint off the walls of the Church of Our Lady after attacks. |
| In April of this year, a loyalist mural near the church was removed. | In April of this year, a loyalist mural near the church was removed. |