AN Orange hall daubed with republican graffiti at the weekend only re-opened in June after being destroyed in an arson attack, it has emerged.
The building, situated at Ballinderry Bridge near Coagh, was sprayed with slogans sometime during Friday night or Saturday morning.
The Worshipful Master of Ballinderry LOL 797, who use the Tyrone hall along with members of a local pipe band, expressed his disappointment at the latest unprovoked attack.
William Jeffers also made a plea for the perpetrators to leave local brethren "alone".
"We do everything we possibly can not to cause any annoyance to anybody. The Union Jack was put up several days before the Twelfth and was down within two days," he said.
"We are a religious organisation and are not sectarian in anyway."
Mr Jeffers said he felt "sorry" for those members of the local community who donated money in the aftermath of the arson attack in November 2008 to restore the hall and rebuild it.
"This hall has been in Ballinderry for over 80 years. There were no attacks whatsoever on it until 2008 and although this a minor incident, it is still disappointing."
Slamming the latest attack, Mr Jeffers added: "I dont think the ordinary Roman Catholic people of the Coagh district did this because we have had a lot of praise from that section of the community on how well the new hall works into the surrounding countryside."
DUP MLA Ian McCrea condemned the graffiti attack as "another demonstration of the anti-Protestant elements which are in our society".
"These people are not representative of the Mid-Ulster constituency. I trust the decent people of this area will come forward to the police and help prosecute those responsible for this sectarian attack," he said.
"People want to live in a society where their culture and beliefs are respected, however, this graffiti incident is the language of those who want to drag Northern Ireland into a sectarian battle which turns people against each other."
He added: "My thoughts are with the lodge in Ballinderry who have just recently refurbished the hall after it was burnt down a few years ago. I know that having survived previous attacks on their property they will continue to meet in this hall."
Commenting on the incident, a police spokesperson said: "Whatever the mindset of these people, they have no support in this community."
Earlier this month, Bonn Orange hall in nearby Pomeroy was destroyed in an arson attack.
Article taken from the News Letter
