Martin McGuinness visits Short Strand

Martin McGuinness visited the nationalist Short Strand neighbourhood in east Belfast on Wednesday 16 January.

The deputy First Minister was there to meet with residents of the small nationalist enclave that has been under constant attack most recently from loyalists since early December 2012.

While in the district, McGuinness spoke with residents and community representatives in the local community centre before he visited families living in the Strand Walk whose homes have been targeted by pro-UVF mobs throwing petrol and paint bombs.

Tommy McNulty, who lives at the top of Strand Walk, explained how he is constantly under threat and keeps a number of fire extinguishers to hand as a precaution.

On the night of Monday 14 January, loyalist mobs bombarded the nearby St Matthew’s Church in a sustained attack that also saw attacks on homes on  Strand Walk, at the interface with the Newtownards Road.

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