Police investigate loyalist graffiti attack at Rasharkin GAA premises

In last night’s incident at St Mary’s GAA Club, “UVF”, “No surrender” and other graffiti was sprayed on boundary walls, where an Ulster Volunteer Force flag was also draped.

Police said they received a report this afternoon regarding graffiti at GAA premises on the Townhill Road in Rasharkin. Inspector Davy Burns is appealing for anyone with information about the damage caused to contact police in Coleraine on the non-emergency number 101.

Information can also be passed on anonymously via the Crimestoppers charity on freephone 0800 555 111.

The incident, police stated, is being treated as a hate crime.

According to North Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan it is the third such attack in a short space of time.

He said: “The people of Rasharkin are quite rightly very angry and annoyed this is happening on a regular basis and seemingly with complete impunity.

“The GAA club in Rasharkin is a shining example of what is good and positive in a community and the people responsible for these hate-filled sectarian attacks are the complete opposite.

“These attacks need to be condemned by publicly by Unionist politicians.

“It is also clear that the PSNI need to do more to bring those responsible for such hate crimes before the courts.

“The people responsible are anti-Catholic, anti-Irish and anti-community but should not be allowed to succeed in raising tensions as is their intention”.