Altnaveigh Orange Hall in Newry the target of another 'sectarian hate crime'

Police received a report on Saturday morning that graffiti had been sprayed on the building on Martins Lane.

The Altnaveigh hall has been targeted on a number of occasions in recent years and a number of protective measures have been put in place to prevent more extensive damage.

PSNI Inspector Macdonald said: “A report was received at around 11.15 am on Saturday that damage was caused to a doorway and graffiti had been sprayed on the walls.

Ulster Unionist councillor David Taylor described the latest incident as “extremely depressing”.

“As you can see from the pictures displaying various pieces of graffiti and damage to the building, attacks on Altnaveigh Orange Hall are an all too regular occurrence,” he told the Armaghi website.

“This latest incident highlights that there are those within the community who remain intolerant of the continued physical presence of Orange and Protestant culture in the Newry area.

“It is extremely depressing that the Altnaveigh Orange brethren endure relentless incidents of damage being caused to their hall.

"The hall plays an important role each year in hosting a service to remember the six Protestants who were murdered by the IRA in the 1922 incident known as the Altnaveigh Massacre.”

The PSNI said: “Enquiries into the incident, which is being treated as a sectarian hate crime, are ongoing, and anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area, or who has any information which could assist, is asked to contact police in Newry on 101, quoting reference number 688 21/01/23.