South and East Belfast Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

East Belfast Bonfire vandalism hardly surprising - Ó Donnghaile

Published: 12 July, 2008

Sinn Féin's East Belfast Representative Niall Ó Donnghaile has said news that a number of derelict buildings in Ballymacarret caught fire as well as a library on the Woodstock being damaged due to heat from bonfires comes as no great surprise given the lack of management and safety measures at some of the sites.

He said,

"I want to express my disappointment at the damage caused to a number of properties in East Belfast last night, including a library, a place of learning and enlightenment.

I was on the ground in the Short Strand last night and unlike years gone by people seemed to have a relatively calm and tense free night. A large part of this is down to the work carried out by groups like the Belfast Conflict Reconciliation Consortium (BCRC) and I want to commend them for the work they are engaged in.

In saying that we must also recognise that this wasn't the case for many communities across the Six Counties, who suffered the annual fear and intimidation associated with these bonfires, to them I extend solidarity and hope in the time ahead that we can all work together to achieve a peaceful and indeed respectful marching season."

CRÍOCH