Omagh Orange hall see surge in stone attacks and online abuse

OVER a dozen stone attacks and a ‘one thousand percent’ increase in online abuse have been reported this year by the Omagh Orange Hall.

“Every year you get the odd randomer spouting abuse, but this year has been unreal. Coupled with over a dozen stone attacks since the year started, the men in the Lodge have really been affected by this increase in abuse,” said Geoff Mosgrove, a Lodge member who has worked to rejuvenate the hall into a cross-community cultural hub.

Since Covid-19, Geoff has hosted music lessons and Omagh’s Men’s Shed under the hall’s roof, even taking his band, the Omagh True Blues, to music festivals in the Republic of Ireland.

However, he has noted a significant increase in both physical and online abuse this year, particularly in the weeks leading up to the Twelfth of July.

“On Sunday night, we had a rock the size of your head come through one of our windows. This wasn’t your usual pebbles and small stones. Sadly, it’s the latest in over a dozen attacks on the hall this year. At our Cultural Hub, we strive to provide a valuable community resource with events for all ages and everyone in the area. These attacks not only damage community relations in Omagh but also add extra pressure on our finances,” Geoff said.

Commenting on the Orange Hall attack at the weekend, A PSNI spokesperson said, “We received a report of a criminal damage which occurred at the Mountjoy Road in Omagh sometime between 7:30pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday, where it was reported that a window of a property had been smashed.

“Enquiries are continuing and police would appeal to anyone with any information in relation to the incident, to contact them on 101 quoting reference number 801 07/07/24.”

Online abuse

The Omagh True Blues band participated in the July 1 Somme Commemoration parade, with many photos and videos posted on Facebook to highlight the event. However, the posts were soon met with abusive comments, one of which read, ‘Semtex comes to mind,’ and another stating they are an ‘embarrassment to the real British.’

According to Geoff, while stone-throwing has always been an issue, the online abuse has increased ‘one thousand percent’ in the last year.

“You would always have had one or two randomers leaving abusive comments, but this year has just been unreal. The comments left under our post were disgusting, and the thing is they’re probably not even from Omagh,” said Geoff.

“We’ve thought about closing down the page, but that would be giving in to the hate. How can we try and grow ourselves into a cross-community platform from behind closed doors? Although the comments are a minority, Catholics and nationalists will see that and think ‘that doesn’t represent me,’ just as in vice versa when Protestants and unionists see abuse made by other people by their side.”

Meanwhile, Geoff strongly condemned the placement of a mock police car atop a bonfire in Moygashel, Dungannon this week.

He described the act as “ridiculous” and asserted that there is “no place” for such imagery.

The incident, which drew attention after photos circulated online on Tuesday evening, showed a silver Vauxhall Vectra adorned in police livery positioned on the bonfire, which stands 150 pallets high.

The Moygashel Bonfire Association justified the action in a statement shared on social media, citing it as a political statement against the perceived union dismantling in the ‘Donaldson Deal’. The statement included criticism directed at Jeffrey Donaldson and others for their role in what they termed a ‘surrender deal’ regarding the Irish Sea border.

However, Geoff expressed disbelief upon seeing the images, describing the act as “ridiculous.”

“We are far past burning regalia on bonfires,” he said, while also ackowledging that Unionism is “clearly fragmented.”

“Recent elections, Brexit and the Irish Sea Border have all effected unionism.

“But we keep our own wee bubble on the ground right, while hoping that those at higher political levels can sort the big problems out,” Geoff concluded.