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Extra.ie
a day ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Irish Olympian Danielle Hill's terror at thugs who set centre on fire
Two-time Irish Olympian Danielle Hill has revealed she was confronted by masked men at Larne Leisure Centre, where families fleeing violence in Ballymena had been housed, before it went up in flames. The centre was set on fire on Wednesday while Ms Hill was coaching a group of children, some of whom were as young as six years old. Rioting in Ballymena broke out on Monday evening, leading to dozens of PSNI officers being injured across the week as violence spread to other towns. People take part in a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the Co Antrim town of Ballymena. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire Ethnic minorities in parts of the North have seen their homes attacked, while two families who fled Ballymena were temporarily housed 30 kilometres away in Larne Leisure Centre but had been moved elsewhere earlier on Wednesday before the incident. Recalling the terrifying ordeal, Ms Hill said that the attack on the leisure centre was 'racism in its rawest and most dangerous form' and that the centre was now 'marked by fear and trauma'. A group of masked men were spotted outside the building by coaches, who quickly ended swimming lessons and had the children taken home before bins were pushed into the foyer and set alight. Two-time Irish Olympian Danielle Hill. Pic:'As I walked outside to move my car, four masked men walked around the corner,' Ms Hill said. 'I've never experienced something like that and it scared me. This is a place that kids enjoy coming to. There was no need for what happened last night. It could have ended very differently.' The swimmer, who has represented Ireland at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, later took to social media and urged members of the swimming club to 'come together, not fall apart'. Firefighters at the scene where a fire has broken out at Larne Leisure Centre following vandalism at the facility. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Ms Hill also said she thought the North had moved beyond violence and masked men, adding: 'We can't be back to square one.' Another swimming coach who was present, Jack Baxter, told RTÉ's Claire Byrne yesterday that it would be months until the leisure centre could be used again. 'We got the kids out of the pool as fast as possible. As the kids were getting changed, we could hear thudding on the windows, which was very distressing for the children. 'Some of the kids were a bit shaken up by it.' The North's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has called for a DUP minister to resign after he posted about the location of the families being housed at the leisure centre. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had posted on social media before the attack that some families were temporarily being housed at Larne Leisure Centre and that as an MLA for the area, he hadn't been 'made aware of this decision'. Mr Lyons 'strongly hit back at any notion' that he had any responsibility for the centre later being attacked, and said the news that families fleeing Ballymena were at the centre was already 'in the public domain'. Ms O'Neill yesterday denied the incident had led to a crisis in the power-sharing government at Stormont. Speaking at a meeting of the British-Irish Council in Newcastle, Co. Down yesterday, the Sinn Féin vice president said she stood by her comments but denied there was a crisis at Stormont. She said: 'There are four parties around the Executive table. We can have differences at different times and we can say we don't agree with the ministers' approach and still get on with governance, that's what I am determined to do.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said Mr Lyons said 'very clearly that his intention was to defuse tensions in the local area due to a significant amount of rumour going around'.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Ballymena: Week of violent attacks on Northern Ireland's small immigrant community ‘akin to 1930s Germany'
When children were evacuated from a swimming lesson at a Co Antrim leisure centre this week, they walked out to find masked men banging on the windows. The youngest fleeing the Larne complex – which had provided temporary shelter to displaced immigrants – was six-years-old. 'The fear those kids experienced going out to their families has left them traumatised,' said Danielle Hill, swim coach and Irish Olympian, who escorted the children to safety before the building was set on fire on Wednesday evening. Forty-eight hours earlier, in a terraced house 30 kilometres away in Ballymena , a mother hid her babies in the attic as rioters kicked in their door and set fire to curtains. Older children hid in wardrobes. READ MORE Outside, police were attacked with hatchets and petrol bombs by a rampaging mob. In a week that has seen violent disorder erupt across Northern Ireland , 14 migrant families have been forced to seek emergency accommodation after being burnt out of their homes. Dozens received assistance from the Housing Executive. 'Bigots and racists' were blamed by Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Jon Boutcher for four consecutive nights of unrest. The disorder began in Ballymena on Monday evening following a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault . Two teenage boys appeared in court earlier that day charged with the attempted rape of a girl in the Co Antrim town. The 14-year-olds confirmed their names through a Romanian interpreter. They deny the offences. Clonavon Terrace, a street close to the town centre that faces on to the rear of Ballymena police station, resembled a war zone by Tuesday morning. It is absolutely ridiculous that in 2025 people are having to identify themselves with signs on their door — Philip McGuigan Six homes were set alight and many others were vandalised the previous evening. By teatime on Tuesday, Windows that were not boarded up along the row of former mill houses were instead filled with Union Jack flags , British royal family memorabilia, and red, white and blue bunting. Cornelia Amarei from Romania said it was the first time in her seven years living in the street that she put a Union flag in her home. 'We were told it would protect us from any more attacks,' she told The Irish Times. They were trying to keep her eight-year-old grandson, who is autistic, safe. 'He needs routine so we can't move from here. We put his earphones on him at a room at the back of the house,' said Ms Amarei, who works at a manufacturing company in the town. Pre-printed black and white signs stating 'Locals Live Here' were stuck on front doors throughout the town by Wednesday evening . Social media was awash with disinformation about immigration figures and the impact on public services. One Facebook group, with more than 5,000 followers, urged people to share addresses of 'locals' they wanted to protect – and of those they wanted to target. 'It is akin to something from 1930s Germany,' said North Antrim Sinn Féin MLA, Philip McGuigan. 'It is absolutely ridiculous that in 2025 people are having to identify themselves with signs on their door.' Mr McGuigan says lies from some political parties are 'feeding into an anti-immigration sentiment' and playing on people's fears. His comments follow remarks made by the MP for the area, Jim Allister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), in the aftermath of the attacks. Mr Allister condemned the violence but told the BBC that underlying tensions in Ballymena had been 'there for a long time' because there was 'an oversubscription of migrants who had been placed there'. When asked what evidence he was drawing on, Mr Allister said he had canvassed a street with 50 houses and came 'upon five local, if I can call them that, residents of Ballymena'. His statistics 'don't stack up', argues Mr McGuigan, pointing to Stormont Assembly research showing that Northern Ireland is the 'least diverse part of the UK'. Just 3.5 per cent (65,600 people) of the population are from a minority ethnic group. That compares to 18.3 per cent in England and Wales, and 12.9 per cent in Scotland, according to the Assembly report on migration. Police Scotland was asked on Tuesday and it still hasn't arrived — Jon Burrows In Ballymena, there are no registered asylum seekers in the entire Mid and East Antrim local government area, which takes in Ballymena and Larne. Of Ballymena's 24,295 population, 94 per cent of people are white, while just 6 per cent belong to other ethnic groups, according to the last census. 'Bottom line, these are not big figures,' says Mr McGuigan. 'Yes, there is a foreign national population in Ballymena, but it is there for a reason in that local industry and local businesses need people coming in to work. 'Brexit had an impact here in that businesses struggled to find workers.' To date, 63 PSNI officers have been injured in the disturbances after coming under 'sustained attack with heavy masonry and fireworks'. As of Friday afternoon, there have been 17 arrests, with three teenagers – the youngest aged 15 – refused bail and remanded in custody for riot-related offences. Of the 17 people arrested, 13 face criminal charges. Violent protests moved to Portadown in Co Armagh on Thursday, on a night when there was relative calm in Ballymena amid heavy rainfall. Police Scotland has agreed to deploy extra resources to the PSNI as part of a mutual aid arrangement. 'What the PSNI are struggling with now is any kind of spontaneity – they just don't have the resources available,' says Jon Burrows, a retired senior PSNI officer. He believes the policing arrangement only works for big pre-planned events such as the G8 summit. 'Police Scotland was asked on Tuesday and it still hasn't arrived. It could be next week – in which case the horse has already bolted,' he said. Photographic images of suspects should be released by the PSNI more quickly – ideally within 48 hours – to show that 'actions have consequences', according to Mr Burrows. I have been flooded with messages for speaking up against the racist violence — Danielle Hill The use of social media to mobilise rioters and spread disinformation should also be challenged on platforms like TikTok – as opposed to 'the PSNI website and newspapers'. Danielle Hill is determined to resume coaching at Larne Swimming Club and last night met the families of children affected by the disorder. The Olympian, who represented Ireland at the Tokyo and Paris games and took gold at the European Championships last year, has been overwhelmed by the support she has received since condemning the violence. 'As someone who swims for Ireland, who lives in a street flagged with British flags for the Twelfth [of July celebrations], I come to Larne dressed in my Olympic kit that says Ireland on my back and I've always been accepted,' she said. 'I have been flooded with messages for speaking up against the racist violence – which had nothing to do about the protection of women and girls – instead of being a bystander.' Some of the children she coaches are from ethnic minority backgrounds. One child is 'probably going to be our next [big] thing,' she adds. 'Our main mission is getting back to normal for the children's sake and rewriting the script to ensure the leisure centre is full of great memories for them. 'I met the families to help everyone come together and let them know they are not alone in this. For now, we will await our return to the pool.'
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Larne violence: ‘I thought Northern Ireland was past this, beyond balaclavas'
On a leafy avenue overlooking Larne promenade on Wednesday night, groups of masked men made their way to the Co Antrim town's leisure centre. Residents living in large detached houses on Tower Road watched on in horror as the centre – which had provided emergency shelter to migrant families burnt out of their homes 32km away in Ballymena – was set on fire . 'They were coming up the road handing out balaclavas to each other, they were well organised. I've been living in this area for 50 years and never seen anything like it… it's appalling,' said one woman walking along the promenade on Thursday. Inside the centre, children as young as six were getting changed for their weekly swimming lesson and a yoga session was under way as protesters began banging on windows. READ MORE It marked the third night of violent disorder in Northern Ireland following an alleged sexual assault of a girl in Ballymena at the weekend. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter. Larne Leisure Centre was set on fire on Wednesday evening Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Jon Boutcher described the unrest as 'absolutely race-motivated'. As of Thursday evening, 41 officers had been injured and 15 people had been arrested. Standing outside a police cordon at Larne Leisure Centre on Thursday afternoon, swim coach Danielle Hill became emotional as she recalled the moment she saw four masked men appear when she went to move her car the previous evening. [ Three teenagers charged with riot in Ballymena while leisure centre set alight in Larne in third night of violence Opens in new window ] Hill (25) is a double Olympian from Newtownabbey, Co Antrim – she represented Ireland at the Tokyo and Paris summer games – and was waiting to take a group of children into the 25m pool at 7pm. At 7.22pm she received a phone call, warning her that trouble had flared following an earlier peaceful protest outside the centre attended by about 50 people. 'Hundreds had gathered by the time I went to move my car. Four men wearing balaclavas came around the corner. I have never experienced anything like that. When I saw them I paused. It was very scary,' she said. Larne leisure centre swim coach, Olympian Danielle Hill, became emotional as she recalled the moment she saw four masked men appear when she went to move her car outside the centre on Wednesday evening. Photograph: Seanín Graham 'My first thought was to get back inside to inform everybody. They had no idea what was going on, I was the eyes and ears outside. My first port of call was the children – there was about 30 to 40 kids inside.' Hill has not slept in 24 hours and appealed for calm. 'I thought Northern Ireland was past this; I thought we were beyond balaclavas. I thought we were beyond the violence. Kids shouldn't have to grow up in that. Last night was so unnecessary, it didn't achieve anything,' she said. 'This stemmed from an alleged sexual attack on a young girl, but last night has nothing to do with sexual violence. What unfolded was racism in its rawest and most dangerous form.' Earlier on Thursday, a political row erupted over comments by Stormont Communities Minister Gordon Lyons on social media hours before the attack in Larne, in which he posted the location of the centre – where migrants had stayed earlier in the week after fleeing their homes. First Minister Michelle O'Neill called for his resignation, accusing him of 'failing to show correct leadership', but Mr Lyons defended his position and said he had no intention of resigning. Extra police resources are being deployed to the North from Police Scotland to deal with the disturbances. First Minister Michelle O'Neill speaks to media in Belfast on Thursday following three nights of violence and public disorder in the town of Ballymena. Photograph: Rebecca Black/PA Wire During a PSNI press conference on Thursday, Mr Boutcher admitted the service 'did not have the resources' to deal with spontaneous violence on Monday but was equipped to deal with the disorder that followed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Asked about the arson attack in Larne, the chief constable said the responsibility for injured officers and damaged buildings falls on 'the people committing these crimes' rather than the PSNI. In late afternoon, an 80-year-old pensioner on the Larne promenade said she hoped the violence would end. 'Goodness knows, we had plenty of trouble years ago,' she said, 'we don't need that back again'.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Larne violence: ‘I thought Northern Ireland was past this; I thought we were beyond balaclavas'
On a leafy avenue overlooking Larne promenade on Wednesday night, groups of masked men made their way to the Co Antrim town's leisure centre. Residents living in large detached houses on Tower Road watched on in horror as the centre – which had provided emergency shelter to migrant families burnt out of their homes 32km away in Ballymena – was set on fire . 'They were coming up the road handing out balaclavas to each other, they were well organised. I've been living in this area for 50 years and never seen anything like it… it's appalling,' said one woman walking along the promenade on Thursday. Inside the centre, children as young as six were getting changed for their weekly swimming lesson and a yoga session was under way as protesters began banging on windows. READ MORE It marked the third night of violent disorder in Northern Ireland following an alleged sexual assault of a girl in Ballymena at the weekend. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter. Larne Leisure Centre was set on fire on Wednesday evening Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Jon Boutcher described the unrest as 'absolutely race-motivated'. As of Thursday evening, 41 officers had been injured and 15 people had been arrested. Standing outside a police cordon at Larne Leisure Centre on Thursday afternoon, swim coach Danielle Hill became emotional as she recalled the moment she saw four masked men appear when she went to move her car the previous evening. [ Three teenagers charged with riot in Ballymena while leisure centre set alight in Larne in third night of violence Opens in new window ] Hill (25) is a double Olympian from Newtownabbey, Co Antrim – she represented Ireland at the Tokyo and Paris summer games – and was waiting to take a group of children into the 25m pool at 7pm. At 7.22pm she received a phone call, warning her that trouble had flared following an earlier peaceful protest outside the centre attended by about 50 people. 'Hundreds had gathered by the time I went to move my car. Four men wearing balaclavas came around the corner. I have never experienced anything like that. When I saw them I paused. It was very scary,' she said. Larne leisure centre swim coach, Olympian Danielle Hill, became emotional as she recalled the moment she saw four masked men appear when she went to move her car outside the centre on Wednesday evening. Photograph: Seanín Graham 'My first thought was to get back inside to inform everybody. They had no idea what was going on, I was the eyes and ears outside. My first port of call was the children – there was about 30 to 40 kids inside.' Hill has not slept in 24 hours and appealed for calm. 'I thought Northern Ireland was past this; I thought we were beyond balaclavas. I thought we were beyond the violence. Kids shouldn't have to grow up in that. Last night was so unnecessary, it didn't achieve anything,' she said. 'This stemmed from an alleged sexual attack on a young girl, but last night has nothing to do with sexual violence. What unfolded was racism in its rawest and most dangerous form.' Earlier on Thursday, a political row erupted over comments by Stormont Communities Minister Gordon Lyons on social media hours before the attack in Larne, in which he posted the location of the centre – where migrants had stayed earlier in the week after fleeing their homes. First Minister Michelle O'Neill called for his resignation, accusing him of 'failing to show correct leadership', but Mr Lyons defended his position and said he had no intention of resigning. Extra police resources are being deployed to the North from Police Scotland to deal with the disturbances. First Minister Michelle O'Neill speaks to media in Belfast on Thursday following three nights of violence and public disorder in the town of Ballymena. Photograph: Rebecca Black/PA Wire During a PSNI press conference on Thursday, Mr Boutcher admitted the service 'did not have the resources' to deal with spontaneous violence on Monday but was equipped to deal with the disorder that followed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Asked about the arson attack in Larne, the chief constable said the responsibility for injured officers and damaged buildings falls on 'the people committing these crimes' rather than the PSNI. In late afternoon, an 80-year-old pensioner on the Larne promenade said she hoped the violence would end. 'Goodness knows, we had plenty of trouble years ago,' she said, 'we don't need that back again'.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Families hid in attics during 'race motivated' disorder, says chief constable
Families hid in attics and wardrobes during violent disorder in Ballymena, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable has comes following three days of violence in Ballymena, and some other towns, in which 41 officers were injured and 13 people disorder began on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim Boutcher described the disorder as "wanton, disgraceful, criminal behaviour that is absolutely race motivated". Mr Boutcher said after a peaceful protest was "hijacked" on Monday evening, police and the fire service had to help families "who have done nothing wrong".He added that: "We stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with the diverse communities in Northern Ireland. "These bigots and racists will not win the day."The first protest was organised hours after two teenage boys appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages. Their solicitor said they would be denying the Boutcher said the family of the young girl wanted the violence to stop."She's been further traumatised by what has happened over the last three nights," he said. The worst of the disorder took place in Ballymena, mainly in the Clonavon Terrace have described the disorder as "racist thuggery, pure and simple" and targeted at ethnic minorities and law the three days in Ballymena, police officers came under sustained attack with petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks thrown in their Boutcher called on those involved to stop and warned that there will be prosecutions. "Don't come out onto the streets tonight. If you do we will police you, and we will deal with you through the criminal justice system.""We'll be releasing images of those responsible. We will be going after them." On Wednesday, the PSNI confirmed that a significant number of extra police officers were being deployed into areas Scotland has agreed to send officers, after police in Northern Ireland requested extra support under mutual aid deployment will involve an undisclosed number of public order officers trained to police civil Larne, masked youths attacked a leisure centre and set it on fire on Wednesday. The centre had been providing emergency shelter for families following the clashes earlier in the week, the council have also been incidents in Larne, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, north Belfast and Newtownabbey. Olympic swimmer Danielle Hill, who competed in both the Paris and Tokyo Games, has condemned the attack on Larne Leisure Hill, who swims for team Ireland, was at the facility when the attacks took place. She said: "I went to move my car, and four masked men walked around the corner, and I thought, okay, this is time to go."The 25-year-old said: "This isn't what we want. There are kids involved. And it's my duty to care and protect those guys so I made the decision then to cancel my session."As I went back inside to clear my stuff and clear all the kids and make sure they were picked up, I came back outside and there were people in balaclavas standing around the corner. "I got a phone call from a family friend to say that if I hadn't already, I should leave. I instantly rang our duty manager and spoke to a child protection officer inside and told them to evacuate." Ms Hill said: "I mean, it's sad. It's awful. I lay awake last night. When there's kids involved it's upsetting. It shouldn't be happening. There was no need for the violence."As a club, we're deeply saddened that It got to that stage and that those kids had the witness what they did."We can only hope that one day they will come back and that this isn't a place of fear for them and that it is that safe place where they can go and be kids."In a statement, a council spokesperson said they're "assessing the significant damage" and that "the centre remains closed". A housing association has warned its residents to leave their homes and take measures to protect their properties ahead of a planned protest in County Housing in Portadown sent a letter to its residents stating Thursday's demonstration in the town is "directed towards migrants, foreign nationals, and what are perceived as deviant behaviour".The letter added that the demonstration could lead to an "unsafe situation" and advised them to "stay with family or friends during the protest".The police have said they are aware of social media posts calling for protests across Northern Ireland on Thursday evening and in the week Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: "We urge anyone who plans to attend these protests to engage with us as we will be doing our part to ensure the safety of participants and to facilitate the lawful exercise of freedom of expression."Police will not tolerate a repeat of the scenes we saw last night in Ballymena and other parts of Northern Ireland," he added. "We will continue to diligently monitor the situation."
