Boyne burning coincides
with Paisley’s visit

By Maura Fay
maura.fay@meathpost.com

Sectarian motives may have been behind the burning of the historic Boyne Valley Cottage located outside Donore on Wednesday evening last.
The cottage had a mural of the Battle of the Boyne painted on its side which is believed to have been covered in paint before the cottage’s thatch roof caught fire at around 10.30pm.
Locals say there was a number of youths seen driving a red car throwing paint of the mural shortly before the fire.
Frank Godfrey, owner of the cottage and former mayor of Drogheda, said this was the fourth attack on the cottage in recent years and believes the latest could possibly have sectarian links. In a previous attack blue, white and red paint was thrown on the mural.
The attack coincides with a visit by the North’s First Minister Ian Paisley, and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who will officially open the new Battle of the Boyne interpretative centre today (Tuesday) at 11am.
The Gardaí forensic team examined the burnt remains for cottage for three days in a bid to find out what or who is responsible.
The case is being handled by Gardaí in Navan, who said “it is open in terms of motive”.
Godfrey has campaigned since the 1980s to have the tourism potential of the Battle of the Boyne site recognised. “The Battle of the Boyne was the last anything wanted to remember back in those years. The mural is the only one of its kind in the republic and we have had it up since the 1980s during the troubles.”
He added that he has had 15,000 visitors to the cottage over the years including John Hume, former UUP MP John Taylor, Norman Wisdom and cast members from The Sound of Music.