A fire at the Church of the Holy Name in Greenisland, County Antrim is being investigated as arson. On Sunday evening, nine appliances and 49 firefighters attended the scene. Firefighter crews remained at the scene overnight, with three pumps remaining at the site as of Monday morning. Parishioners of the church have called out for those responsible to discuss the matter with church leaders. The church is a Church of Ireland building in Station Road, which was celebrating its 70th anniversary when the blaze occurred.
The Reverend Dr Izzy Hawthorne-Steele, who leads the church, expressed her devastation at the news of the fire. She said that although the church was heartbroken, they were thankful that no one was injured. She also mentioned that the church leaders have set up a memory wall. However, the photos, which included a couple’s wedding album of 60 years, were destroyed in the fire. The church community have been left in shock by the attack, and they hope their beloved church can be salvaged.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has confirmed that the fire was started deliberately. The police have stated that a significant amount of damage was caused to both the building and its contents. The Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev George Davison, called the fire “heart-breaking” to witness and thanked the emergency services for their efforts in saving the main church area and most of the shop. It is still unknown whether the entire church can be restored.
The incident occurred at the end of a weekend full of celebrations including music, entertainment, food and drinks, at the Church of Ireland parish that saw the attendance of many in the community. Parishioner Patrick Houston expressed his shock at the devastation caused by the fire. “We are well soaked into this place and for them to find out about this happening after all this time is devastating,” he added. Alliance Party councillor Aaron Skinner described the scene as “horrendous” and commended the work of firefighters
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