Cllr Declan O'Loan expresses his sadness after the demolition of the landmark Catholic church in Ballymena, which had been a target of loyalist protests for many years.

Councillor Declan O'Loan said: "It is very sad to see this beautiful modern church being demolished, and it made a big impression when I saw just how quickly the building could be pulled down. This church was a place of great spiritual importance for many people, and many will have marked key moments in their family lives there at baptisms, weddings and funerals. "But I think most parishioners have recognized that it no longer served a meaningful purpose in the parish after the movement of the Catholic population from Harryville, and that it would not justify the major spend required to fix the building. "Of course we cannot forget the awful days of the protest against the people going to the church which went on for twenty months between 1996 and 1999, and the frequent attacks of one sort and another on the church building. The steadfastness of the congregation in the face of such intimidation will not be forgotten and that makes the demolition even more poignant. "A church is a very valuable piece of the social fabric. Ballymena is much the poorer after this piece of history and much work needs to be done to build a united community. Lessons have been learned and it is good that many people have committed themselves to that work of reconciliation."

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(CD/MH)