The old Orange hall in Purdys burn is in the middle of a row of beautiful late 18th-century cottages. All that's left of the hall now is a shell. Mrs Pearl McCreight (84), living a few doors from the building, took some solace from one little symbolic crumb of comfort. "The flag is still flying, and I'm glad to see that," she said. Purdysburn is a lovely little village on the outskirts of south Belfast on a back road to Lisburn. The little cottages, with their latticed windows, are enveloped with hanging baskets, the gardens are blooming with sweet pea, roses and marshmallow. It's a hideaway village with one gospel hall, but without pub or shop. Local people could not understand why the building was targeted. Sectarianism might appear the motivation, though some local people had their doubts. Police said the fire was started maliciously but there was no evidence to say it was sectarian.
The hall was set alight about 4 a.m. yesterday. One local man heard a car door slamming and a screech of tyres. What was surprising was that the arsonists, before setting the building alight, took Orange regalia such as collarettes, ceremonial swords and pictures, and abandoned them on the path outside the building. "If they burned the hall I can't understand why they didn't burn the regalia as well," said Mrs McCreight.
Another neighbour, Mr Ken Haynes, a retired English engineer, whose cottage is only a couple of feet from the hall, reckoned that sectarianism was not the motive, although like others he was baffled as to why the hall was burned. "I can't see that it was sectarian. If they burned the hall why wouldn't they burn the Orange regalia? It does not make sense," he said.
Mr Ernest Kilpatrick, the local lodge secretary, said he was upset that the building was targeted. "It brought tears to my eyes to see it gutted. It's an old building and it has always fitted in with the village." He said the Purdysburn lodge never had any complaints or threats. "But what amazes me is why the stuff was brought outside. Even the police can't understand that," he added.
The arson attack was condemned by the SDLP, Alliance and Sinn Fein. Hayes, of Sinn Fein, called for an immediate end to such attacks. "They serve only to heighten tensions at a time when we are trying to build trust," he added. The attack was also condemned by the SDLP and Alliance parties.
