Coalition offers talks on inter-village tension

A spokesperson for Carnlough Residents’ Coalition disagreed with East Antrim PUP chairman Billy Adams’s recent analysis of the ongoing feud. On Thursday, March 4 the Larne Times reported that Mr Adamson said: “There has been tension with sectarian overtones in Glenarm, where it appears that youths from outside the area - from Carnlough and Ballymena and beyond - seem to be making it their business to come in to the village and try to take it back to the old days.”

The potential for young people to be “sucked in to the past” was reiterated by the Carnlough resident, who disagreed with Mr Adamson over who is to blame for the trouble, which has included cases of assault and criminal damage.

“Carnlough youths have been subject to sectarian violence from youths from the Larne and Glenarm area over the past years,” claimed the coalition spokesperson.

“We have on numerous occasions had meetings with the police about various contentious problems such as parades, anti-social and sectarian problems. We have offered to meet our unionist neighbours, as well as the Orange Order, but sadly our offers were declined.

“Unless we all sit down and deal with these problems we are going to allow our younger generation be sucked in to the past - a past that failed us all,” the spokesperson added.