EXCLUSIVE | Five Catholic families refuse to flee after new homes smashed up by UDA thugs
Catholic families vow to stay in their dream homes after loyalist thugs go on hate-filled rampage
Resident Kirsty Giffen- McGrath speaks to our reporter Hugh Jordan in Annalee Street. Inset right, boarded up windows after they were smashed by UDA thugs
Five Catholic families whose new homes were targeted in a vicious sectarian attack by UDA thugs this week are refusing to budge, the Sunday World can reveal.
And yesterday, a number of families who spoke to us hit out at the PSNI, accusing the police of not providing adequate patrols in Annalee Street, which was designed to allow Protestant and Catholic families to live side by side.
But despite this, every family we spoke to vowed to remain living in the smart terraced street.
“We’re not moving anywhere,” one woman said stubbornly.
And another resident explained: “One family has moved out but only temporarily. It’s to allow workers access to carry out emergency repairs.”
And some of the residents are too terrified to allow their names to be used after one mum was told she under threat because she spoke to the media.
On Wednesday as night fell, masked UDA men from the terror group’s notorious ‘C Coy’ gathered in Annalee Street in the lower Oldpark area of north Belfas and they systematically began attacking the homes of five Catholic families with bricks.
Families dived for cover as glass fragments rained down on them in their living rooms. And missiles were also hurled through bedroom windows, while babies and small children slept nearby.
The UDA gang then left as quickly as they arrived.
But last night Catholic residents who spoke to us said they were determined to remain living in their new homes alongside their Protestant neighbours, despite ongoing UDA intimidation aimed at forcing them out.
“Why should we leave?” one young mum demanded to know. “We’ve done nothing wrong here. This is 2025, people should be living together in peace, irrespective of who or what they are.
“No one should have to suffer what’s happening to us at the moment,” she said.
She added: “All we asked was to have a nice home to raise our young families. We don’t harm anyone, so why should we be attacked? But this is our home and we’re staying here.”
But as she spoke, one family living close made arrangements to move out temporarily to allow tradesmen access to carry out emergency repairs.
Six months ago the newly built street was developed by Clanmil Housing Association, replacing an older street with the same name.
Soon the air was filled with the sound of children singing as the new residents played in the quiet cul-de-sac.
On completion, the beautiful new homes in Annalee Street attracted universal praise for the high standard of design and the quality of the workmanship.
But like so many other mixed-religion housing developments across Northern Ireland — including in Antrim, Lisburn, and south and east Belfast which have been covered extensively in this paper — loyalist thugs are hell-bent on preventing families living side by side, attempting to intimidate Catholics into fleeing. These families are often told by the police that they should leave for own safety.
The late evening attack on Annalee street comes 56 years after the burning of Catholic homes in Bombay Street, which kicked off 25 years of sectarian strife.
Yesterday, pointing to a boarded-up first-floor window, a young mum of three told us: “My two-year-old baby boy was sleeping in that room when a brick came through the window.”
And with tears streaming down her face, she added: “We’re now living in fear of this happening again and that’s no way for families to live.”
Another resident, Kirsty Giffen-McGrath, was in the rear of her home when the attack began. She initially believed the sound outside was children playing late because it was a warm evening.
And when the unprovoked onslaught was over, she ventured outside with her neighbours to review the damage done to their homes.
“We all came out into the street together. It was terrifying. I’ve never experienced anything like that before,” said Kirsty.
She also said she had suddenly become aware of just how vulnerable and isolated residents in Annalee Street now were.
“Especially with it hitting the news, it makes it very real, just how at risk you are for who you are,” Kirsty added.
The young mum — who has lived in the area for around six months — also spoke about how much she enjoyed the sense of community she experienced living in her new Annalee Street home.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted. All the kids are outside playing together. And all the parents know each other. We’re all in sync together, it’s been lovely,” said Kirsty.
Independent Councillor Paul McCusker visited the street in the lower Oldpark on Friday after attending a meeting with residents, police and representatives of Clanmil Housing Association to discuss the crisis.
He explained he had informed the police immediately about the possibility of another attack on this under-siege community.
He revealed information had been received to the effect that those responsible for this vicious and terrifying sectarian attack were planning to return and do the same thing again.
“We informed the police right away,” he said.
He said Annalee Street residents had no prior warning about Wednesday night’s attack.
“It came out of the blue,” he said.
Although the police have still to confirm which Protestant paramilitary group was behind Wednesday night’s attack, the Sunday World has learned that it was a UDA attack.
Following a meeting attended by Annalee Street residents and representatives of Clanmil Housing Association, the PNSI — who were also present — said a police investigation into the attack was ongoing.
Inspector Irwin of the PSNI said: “I want to reassure local residents that we have increased patrols in the area and we will continue to engage alongside partner agencies.”
Residents confirmed police had been “in and out” of the area on a regular basis.
Around 40 years ago, Annalee Street and nearby Alloa Street were the stomping ground of the notorious UDA terror team of Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ Adair and his now deceased sidekick, Sam ‘Skelly’ McCrory.
Ongoing sectarian violence in the area resulted in the erection of a so-called ‘peace line’, which remains in place to this day.
by vague_intentionally_
35 comments
Yet if the residents had enough and fought back how quickly would the police swoop in and the DUP suddenly acknowledge the widespread issue?
EM ERR CAFFLICKS GIT ERRYHING NAYADAYS.
The RUC should lock these people up! But how exactly do we know those responsible were the “UDA”? Surely the Loyalists are long gone now the IRA has been defeated?
The DUP have a lot to answer for the shower of cunts
The cops will probably protect the ethno-fascist drug dealers.
Is this what Nationalists can expect ~~in~~ ~~a New Ireland~~ after a century of Northern Ireland?
If it had of been a granny placing stickers against genocide the PSNI/RUC would have had the tactical units there in minutes
Cray cray. Why do this?? What purpose does it serve??
Should have told the cops that an old lady was putting up pro-palestinian stickers – they would have arrived in a flash…
Meanwhile we arrest people for putting stickers on ATMs
Yet the police never do anything about these thugs
“Northern Ireland” established on the threat and deed of sectarian terror has a perpetual issue with terror. There is only one way to defeat these scumbags, we are not afraid and we I’ll not move for an unemployed unemployable little shit that thinks they are hard men.
And the political parties that talk these groups into a tizzy then walk away aka DUP and TUV you anti Christ cunts you will have your day.
Cops were too busy protecting atms from stickers
But atm stickers and rappers are more of a threat….
So sad to hear that this type of behavior is still happening. For the love of God let it end!
As soon as the communities start fighting back maybe the government will start doing their jobs.
One way of keeping house prices low.
I never want to read anyone blethering about ‘integrated education’ being some kind of magic wand that will disappear Loyalist bigotry and hatred. Catholic schoolchildren being forced to run a daily gauntlet of these sociopathic thugs trying to batter them just so some arty-farty tweed-wearers can feel morally superior, just fuck right off.
This is just so sad. My mum & her family left Belfast over 50 years ago after their home in Graymount (at the time a ‘mixed’ area) was destroyed for the second time, it’s so hard to believe this is still going on 50 years later, and that the police apparently still aren’t able or willing to do anything.
PSNI are too busy protecting ATMs from principled pensioners.
My God those families must be terrified. It’s so easy to say, sit your ground and don’t let them intimidate you out, but don’t know how brave I would be .
Hope those responsible for these cowardly acts are caught and jailed .
Hold the line
Sunday World being the Sunday world as always.
Firstly, as a Loyalist I condemn outright anyone that would attack these house, be they for Catholic, Migrant or Other, however this Bombay street shit stirring, which is as usual disgustingly one sided, just as the comments on here are, as if no Protestants were ever forced from their homes, does nothing to help rectify the situation, but knowingly, & snidely/slyly/sinisterly, inflames it.
Stopping Sectarianism means accepting it comes from both sides & Condemning it from both sides.
Fair play to the families wanting to stay allowing them scumbag to get away with it and doing what they say only empowers them.
Braindead, toothless scumbag thugs. Anyone that doesn’t deplore this behaviour is sub human
For fuck sake WHEN will our politicians and police force put an end to this? We all know it simply wouldn’t be allowed to continue if it was the other way around and yet there’s barely a week goes by without it happening on one side of the community.
I know I’ll get downvoted to oblivion for this but a quick Google maps of the local area reveals painted kerbs, houses flying union flags and loyalist paramilitary murals.
Any catholic moving in around there needs their head examined. Even if it was for a new build social home paid for by the tax-payer….
Absolute shower of bastards
I always wonder what the reaction is from their neighbours? Have they received any support from them or I wonder if they are scared to show support for them?
These fascist supremacists responsible are likely to be the same sort flying apartheid flags out their windows down near the Crumlin road.
Didn’t they do something similar to a Catholic girl who moved into the Suffolk estate a couple of weeks ago.
Fair play to the families for staying. No easy thing to do but hopefully will show the UDA that intimidation won’t work. Would be great to hear from so of the Protestant families living in the same area, ideally to have them show they’re siding with the other residents
Sure the police’ll be over when they’re done rounding up all the elderly disturbing the peace
Ah Unionists…..
unsurprised that the party that called a proposed ethnic cleansing campaign of catholics “a welcome return to normality” will do nothing.
This is fucking disgraceful. Seriously how fucking childish do you have to be to do something like this. The residents are right, in this day and age why the fuck are there still people who want to divide us. We’re all just people trying to live our lives and survive in these uncertain and difficult times. Fs when people are just trying to get by why the fuck is someone making their lives more difficult. Muppets need to find a better use of their time.
Where is the protection or do that mob get to do what they want?
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