Three Orange halls and a church were damaged in petrol bomb attacks early yesterday as the wave of violence in Northern Ireland continued. In the first incident, soldiers discovered a burning petrol bomb outside Ballyknock Orange Hall on the Moira Road, in Hillsborough, Co Down. Minor scorch damage was caused to the hall and St James Church of Ireland also sustained damage.
Less than half an hour later and a few miles away in Moira, Co Armagh, two petrol bombs were thrown through the window of an Orange Hall on the Lany Road, causing minor damage to the inside wall of the building.
Fire crews were also called to Boland Orange Hall in Benburb Road, Dungannon, Co Tyrone at 6 a.m. when smoke was spotted coming from the roof by a passing motorist. The hall sustained extensive damage, an RUC spokesman said.
Overnight on Monday and early yesterday morning the level of violence and disorder was greatly reduced in comparison to previous nights, with one petrol bomb attack on the security forces. A total of seven petrol bombings took place and several homes were attacked. Damage was also caused to a car and seven buildings, and 18 arrests were made. Meanwhile, trouble flared at Drumcree early yesterday as the stand-off by Orangemen entered its 10th day. Violence flared between the police and protesters shortly after the Democratic Unionist Party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, had finished his 30-minute speech to the Orangemen at Drumcree, telling them that the protest should continue.
After giving warnings, police officers fired plastic bullets when coming under attack with petrol bombs and fireworks from masked protesters who had climbed onto the crowd control barrier, blocking access into the nationalist Garvaghy Road, shortly after midnight.
Meanwhile, police were still questioning two men from the Ballymoney area in connection with the murders of the three Quinn children on Sunday. The children, Richard (11), Mark (10) and Jason (9) died after a petrol bomb attack on their Carnany Park home in Ballymoney, Co Antrim. They were buried yesterday in Rasharkin, Co Antrim.