‘Locals only’ graffiti has been daubed on construction boards at the site of a new multi-million-pound social housing development in Newry overnight.
The project, which is costing in the region of £18 million, is transforming the former Saint Clare’s Convent and Primary School on Newry’s High Street into an 88-unit development.
The 8.25-acre site had lain vacant since 2011 – until construction began in 2024.
The work is expected to be completed in early 2026.
As of March 2024, the number of applicants on waiting lists for housing in the Newry, Mourne and Down District stood at 3,986.
However, the overnight vandalism is a worrying development and follows recent anti-immigration protests in the city.
In June, around 200 people attended a protest at Newry Town Hall – organised by a group called ‘Newry Says No’.
The group described it as “a peaceful protest against the illegal immigration happening all over Ireland,” adding, “it is time to stand up for our country against these men that are coming in and endangering women and children.”
A follow-up anti-racism rally a week later saw a crowd of approximately 500 people come together.
That rally addressed recent attacks on immigrants, the “sickening racist incidents” on the city’s streets, and the appearance of ‘Locals Only’ graffiti in Mourne View – similar to the latest incident at the St Clare’s Wood development.
