No doubt aware of the ongoing campaign of sectarian violence and intimidation in the County Antrim village of Stoneyford- and conscious also of those linked with the attacks, Lisburn’s UUP Mayor, Ronnie Crawford, decided to accept an invite by a local loyalist organisation, Stoneyford Jubilee Committee (Chairperson Mark Harbinson) to ignite the local beacon which had a poster of Sinn Fein MLA Paul Butler atop it to the approving roar of the 300 or so loyalists in attendance.
After Stoneyford loyalist, Mark Harbinson, had rejected money offered by unionist-dominated Lisburn Borough Council on the grounds that it wasnt enough (in spite of the fact that his organisation should not have even been offered the money according, firstly, to a recommendation by Council officers and, secondly, due to the fact that they hadnt even appealed their funding rejection when the money was offered) in steps the Mayor to find an alternative funder for the Stoneyford beacon, earning the praise of the recently quite active loyalist fraternity in the troubled village.
Mr. Crawford’s weak response when asked why he agreed to light the beacon was “there were 300 people standing there…I wasn’t going to take that thing down.” The story is carried in today’s Andersonstown News (not yet online.)