Northern Ireland

'Sectarian' graffiti at Co Antrim GAA centre condemned

Sectarian graffiti at a GAA centre in Co Antrim has been condemned
Sectarian graffiti at a GAA centre in Co Antrim has been condemned Sectarian graffiti at a GAA centre in Co Antrim has been condemned

POLICE say they are treating graffiti daubed on the wall of a GAA centre in Co Antrim as sectarian.

The offensive scrawl appeared on signs at GAA centre of excellence at Dunsilly, on the outskirts of Antrim town overnight on Sunday.

The letters FTP - believed to mean f*** the Pope - were sprayed on a sign close to the centre, while a second sign appeared to have been defaced.

Sinn Féin assembly member Declan Kearney condemned the attack branding it mindless.

“Antrim GAA plays a proud role promoting inclusion and good community relations," he said.

"By contrast, those responsible for this attack are sectarian bigots with nothing to offer society."

The MLA said there should be a zero tolerance shown towards sectarianism.

Signs at a GAA centre in Co Antrim were also defaced
Signs at a GAA centre in Co Antrim were also defaced Signs at a GAA centre in Co Antrim were also defaced

“A zero tolerance attitude is required towards the cancer of sectarianism in our community," he said.

"This overnight attack should be treated by the PSNI as a hate crime.

“I have already registered my deep concerns with senior PSNI management about this incident, and asked for a briefing on the progress of police investigations later today.”

A spokeswoman for the PSNI last night said "the incident is being treated as a sectarian motivated hate crime".