It is difficult to know which is worse: the racist and xenophobic mindsets which spawned the hate signs erected in Moygashel, Co Tyrone; or the fact that those responsible feel so untouchable that they think nothing of issuing sinister threats against businesses and their staff.
Both are deeply troubling. The signs proclaim that "Moygashel continues to reject housing of foreign nationals", going on to list the names of a number of estate agents and emphasising that "This list is not exhaustive".
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In a final chilling warning, the signs read: "Lease or sale of property to unsuitable tenants may result in personal accountability of the agent." And in a clear demonstration of what the narrow-minded cowards behind this message mean in this instance by 'personal accountability', one of the posters has been tied to a lamppost in front of a home which has had its windows smashed and walls daubed with paint and graffiti.
It would be wholly wrong to suggest that these disgusting views are representative of the people of the mainly loyalist village outside Dungannon. As independent councillor Barry Monteith says, many in Moygashel will be dismayed by the erection of the posters, which are essentially a version of the scandalous 'no Irish, no blacks, no dogs' which were once a familiar smear in Britain.
One of the businesses listed has also stressed that there is no evidence that the signs reflect the majority view of people in the area, while pointing out that it would be "illegal for any agent to discriminate against anybody on grounds of race, creed, age or sex".
The latest episode bears dispiriting echoes of the message of hate and exclusion which appeared last week in the mainly loyalist Belvoir estate area of south Belfast. Those signs targeted private landlords as well as the Housing Executive in a darkly incoherent message which spoke of how Belvoir "will no longer accept the re-housing of illegal immigrants or the excrement of other communities". SDLP councillor Dónal Lyons removed the posters, an action which saw him the target of a graffitied message.
Both the Moygashel and Belvoir cases bear the hallmarks of loyalist paramilitary involvement. Not content with threatening and attempting to exert control on those who already live in these areas, they want to also dictate who can and cannot come into them.
It is intimidation of the most outrageous kind and must be directly opposed. That should mean proactive police investigations with full community support. It should also mean firm and unambiguous messages of condemnation from political and community leaders across the spectrum.
Ireland once proudly called itself the land of céad míle fáilte. We must strive to recapture that spirit and generosity and hospitality.
