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GAA clubhouse blaze 'deliberate' GAA clubhouse blaze 'deliberate'
(40 minutes later)
Police suspect arsonists were behind a fire which destroyed a GAA clubhouse in County Down. Police suspect arsonists were behind a fire which destroyed a GAA clubhouse in County Down, causing damage put at more than £100,000.
Firefighters were called to St John's clubhouse at Drumnaquoile, near Castlewellan, at about 0700 BST.Firefighters were called to St John's clubhouse at Drumnaquoile, near Castlewellan, at about 0700 BST.
It is not yet known what started the fire. Jackie McMullan from the club said "hundreds of thousands of pounds worth" of damage had been caused. Last week, a nearby Orange hall was daubed with sectarian graffiti, and some believe this was a revenge attack.
"We had refurbishing done, equipment and a lot of valuable trophies," she said. Police said they could not confirm a sectarian motive at this stage. It is not yet known what started the fire.
The club says the hall was also used as a community centre, and the fire means a programme for people with special needs will be cancelled.
Special needs co-ordinator Seamus Braniff said: "It's just an utter disgrace and they will be absolutely devastated when we tell them."
Jackie McMullan from the club said "hundreds of thousands of pounds worth" of damage had been caused.
She said the fire had also destroyed many items of sentimental value, such as trophies.
"On Sunday we are going to play a junior championship final in Newry so this is a big day coming up. Now we have been set back a bit.""On Sunday we are going to play a junior championship final in Newry so this is a big day coming up. Now we have been set back a bit."
'Appeal for calm'
Sinn Fein assembly member Willie Clarke said: "I would appeal for calm within the nationalist community, particularly among young people who are devastated by this.
He said he would ask them "to think of what happened and not allow it to happen to anyone else".
Condemning the attack, DUP assembly member Jim Wells said he believed it was the latest in a series of similar incidents in the area.
"This gets the community nowhere if we start to get into tit-for-tat vandalism of other people's property," he said.
"If we keep on the way we're going, it will put people's lives in danger and it's got to stop."