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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Second GAA club damaged by fire | Second GAA club damaged by fire |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A fire at GAA premises in Cookstown in County Tyrone is being treated as suspicious by police. | A fire at GAA premises in Cookstown in County Tyrone is being treated as suspicious by police. |
| The fire at the building on Convent Road in the town was the second suspected attack over the weekend on GAA premises in the county. | |
| It is thought the fires may have been in retaliation for attacks last week on Orange halls in County Tyrone. | |
| DUP Sports Minister Gregory Campbell condemned "unequivocally and without reservation" the attacks on GAA clubs. | |
| "If the morons who seem to have a resentment and bitterness in them against either Orange halls or GAA halls see the consequence of their attacks mean there will be bigger and better premises built instead, maybe that will have an impact," he said. | |
| "There will be a response by the community and those who attack the hall for whatever mischievous reason will see that it has backfired - maybe that will have an impact because there is no point in attacks that rebound on each community as a result of the previous one." | |
| 'Upsetting' | |
| Sinn Féin MLA Barry McElduff said it was "very upsetting to see these GAA clubs vandalised and burned in this way". | |
| Mr McElduff said he condemned attacks on Orange halls, adding: "I would call on anyone engaged in such activities to desist." | |
| "It's helpful that the Orange Order has spoken in such clear terms about attacks on GAA halls." | |
| SDLP assembly member Patsy McGlone said: "It really is a body blow to the community." | |
| "Structurally, the building is quite sound - from speaking to firefighters, two of the internal rooms are quite badly damaged and there is smoke damage throughout the building," he said. | |
| In a statement, the Orange Order said: "We condemn all attacks on halls in our community without reservation, and we appeal for no retaliation. | |
| "Retaliation is always a trap and the people who are burning our Orange Halls will be the ones who will be most pleased if misguided people from the Protestant community retaliate." | |
| On Saturday morning a blaze was discovered at St Malachy's GAA club in Edendork. Police are also treating that fire as suspicious. | On Saturday morning a blaze was discovered at St Malachy's GAA club in Edendork. Police are also treating that fire as suspicious. |
| The blaze at St Malachy's destroyed the roof, and the building was later declared unsafe. | The blaze at St Malachy's destroyed the roof, and the building was later declared unsafe. |