Ballymena in the IMC report: important to keep perspective

Ballymena SDLP councillor Declan O’Loan says that he is surprised at the extent to which Ballymena is highlighted in the latest IMC report, particularly in relation to dissident republican activity. He says that it is important to keep a sense of perspective about what has gone on in Ballymena.

He went on, “Certainly there are people with dissident republican sympathies in Ballymena. But there are some who would be better described as disaffected youth who have to some degree attached themselves to this label. The extent to which they can be regarded as an organised Continuity IRA cell is very open to question. Some of their activity is far too transparent for that. While there have been a number of serious incidents including working with bomb components, some of the activities mentioned such as “attacking” a loyalist bonfire are ludicrous in a description of serious paramilitary activity. Some of the more serious recent incidents have been attacks on houses, both Protestant and Catholic, some with petrol bombs. These have had sectarian and quasi-political motivations and while the potential outcomes could have been disastrous for the occupants, they cannot realistically be viewed as part of a serious paramilitary campaign.”