30 October 1997 Edition
Larne attacks continue
By Ciaran Smith and Catherine O'Hagan
A Catholic man whose home was petrol bombed by Larne loyalists last Thursday 23 October says he, his girlfriend and two young children were lucky to get out of the blazing house alive. This was the second time in as many months that the family of four from have come under loyalist attack. In September the man's house was wrecked and his car and his girlfriend's car were wrecked, with UVF slogans being spray painted on the cars.
This time their house came under petrol bomb attack and Lee Conkey, his girlfriend Paula Kinkead and their two children Megan (6) and Clarissa (2) were in bed when the device was hurled through the window of their sitting room.
This attack comes at a time when loyalist harassment of Catholics is increasing. An Phoblacht reporter Catherine O'Hagan spoke to some young people in the mainly loyalist town who say that on every street in Larne, Catholics are greeted with Union Jacks, Loyalist murals and red, white and blue painted kerbs.
One boy had his school uniform sprayed red, white and blue while it hung on the washing line and the walls of his house sprayed with UDA slogans. His windows were also smashed.
In the Craigyhill area of Larne, a staunchly loyalist district, loyalists have issued a curfew on young Catholics warning them not to play hurling.
The loyalists go out of their way to enforce this curfew and in one of the most extreme cases loyalists armed with baseball bats chased a group of young boys. One of the young Catholics involved told O'Hagan that they had a lucky escape as they found refuge in one of the boy's houses just in time.
A Catholic man whose home was petrol bombed by Larne loyalists last Thursday 23 October says he, his girlfriend and two young children were lucky to get out of the blazing house alive. This was the second time in as many months that the family of four from have come under loyalist attack. In September the man's house was wrecked and his car and his girlfriend's car were wrecked, with UVF slogans being spray painted on the cars.
This time their house came under petrol bomb attack and Lee Conkey, his girlfriend Paula Kinkead and their two children Megan (6) and Clarissa (2) were in bed when the device was hurled through the window of their sitting room.
This attack comes at a time when loyalist harassment of Catholics is increasing. An Phoblacht reporter Catherine O'Hagan spoke to some young people in the mainly loyalist town who say that on every street in Larne, Catholics are greeted with Union Jacks, Loyalist murals and red, white and blue painted kerbs.
One boy had his school uniform sprayed red, white and blue while it hung on the washing line and the walls of his house sprayed with UDA slogans. His windows were also smashed.
In the Craigyhill area of Larne, a staunchly loyalist district, loyalists have issued a curfew on young Catholics warning them not to play hurling.
The loyalists go out of their way to enforce this curfew and in one of the most extreme cases loyalists armed with baseball bats chased a group of young boys. One of the young Catholics involved told O'Hagan that they had a lucky escape as they found refuge in one of the boy's houses just in time.