Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
POLICE IN ARMAGH are investigating an arson attack at the home of prominent loyalist Willie Frazer in the early hours of this morning.
According to the PSNI, patrolling officers noticed smoke in the Tandragee Road area at about 1.15am. They worked to locate the source and found a car on fire outside Frazer’s property.
The vehicle was “very close” to the house, which was evacuated immediately. Frazer, who had been asleep, was brought to safety.
Officers also alerted other residents living in the area, driving a neighbour’s van away from the blaze.
Fire services were informed but police used hand-held extinguishers and a garden hose to dampen down the fire to prevent it from spreading ahead of their arrival.
The car was completely destroyed but nobody was injured during the incident.
“This was a very dangerous fire and due to the quick-thinking actions of officers out on patrol, no one was hurt,” said Sergeant Gwyn. “The consequences if we had not caught this fire in time do not bear thinking about.”
In a statement on his website, Frazer said a fire-proof door saved him.
“The door stopped the flames but the roof started to go on fire, the very clock in the kitchen had stared to melt and the smoke was building up inside the house. This was nothing but attempted murder.”
He added that he would not submit to intimidation. Frazer has been in the spotlight again recently because of his involvement with the Union flag protests in Belfast.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact police at 0845 600 8000. House-to-house enquiries are also underway.
(YouTube Credit: William Frazer)
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
What a country Ireland is at last growing into to. Its starting to mature at last… Excellent idea
Its about time Irish heroes who fought in the great war, world war 2 and other wars for foreign armies, namely the British army are remembered. Credit has to be given to Myles Dungan and Kevin Myers for their continuous writing on this topic over the years and of course Mary McAleese for the fantastic work she did in her time as president.
There was great economic pressure at the time of this recruitment, jobs were scare and people thought that the war would be short, It was a bit of an adventure for a lot of them. Unfortunately it did not turn out like that and the Irish suffered the greatest proportion of fatalities per capita of any people in the allied forces. They were treated as cannon fodder, there was nothing noble or heroic about being ordered out in your thousands to climb up a sea cliff while thousands of Ottoman soldiers shoot at you or charging across a bare field at German artillery. I certainly feel pity for them and how they were used. Like Ireland at the time, most of the men from the south in uniform were pro independence and freedom. Some were not, several of the RIC men that opened up on Bloody Sunday had done their service at the front in WW1. Countless men in the IRA, like the great Tom Barry had fought for years in WW1. My own Grand Uncle fought in WW1 and brought back weapons and grenades for my Grand Father’s IRA unit.
There is nothing heroic in dying in mud at the hands of an enemy miles away in your thousands for a side that had no trouble with you going over first but nor do I despise them. Money was tight, jobs scare and the pressure to join up was massive. I’m just sad that they died the way they did, same as if they had fought for the Czar or the Kaiser.
cannon fodder is all the Irish were in the trenches!!
Indeed and a poignant point was that Unionist regiments and Nationalist regiments were both seen as Irish by the British colonels and used for first waves attacks.
A man from Galway or from East Belfast was viewed as just as useful as stopping a German bullet, whatever flag he doodled in letters home.
Bloody nonsense…
“how Irishmen were recruited into British Forces… ” I really get fed up with this lazy post independence language that suggests the irish were dragged into some foreign army. We, like the English, Welsh and Scots simply joined THE Army.
have your say