Claire Graham

Anti‑immigration posters and graffiti have appeared on several bonfires in Belfast and Carrickfergus ahead of Twelfth of July celebrations. A large banner in north Belfast depicted political party logos, small boats, and masked men with knives, while anti‑Islam slogans were sprayed near a bonfire in Carrickfergus. Additional signs near the O'Neill Road bonfire targeted Islam and the PSNI. The incidents occurred as unionist communities prepare for annual Eleventh Night and Twelfth of July bonfires commemorating the Battle of the Boyne.

Anti‑immigration posters and graffiti have appeared on bonfires in several unionist areas of Northern Ireland ahead of Twelfth of July celebrations, including large banners in north Belfast and anti‑Islam messages in Carrickfergus. Some displays feature political parties and threatening imagery, while local homes have been boarded up for protection. The incidents add controversy to annual Eleventh Night and Twelfth festivities commemorating the Battle of the Boyne.

The son‑in‑law of Michael and Marjorie Cawdery warned that releasing their killer, Thomas Scott McEntee, next year would endanger both him and the public, arguing that mental‑health services remain inadequate despite newly revised guidance from the Department of Health. Evidence presented at an inquest outlined McEntee’s repeated but unsuccessful attempts to obtain help in the days before the 2017 killings. Officials and advocates described the updated mental‑health protocol as an important but overdue step, while the family emphasised the need for full implementation to prevent future failures.

The revised Northern Ireland mental health code of practice prompted renewed concerns from the family of Michael and Marjorie Cawdery, who were killed in 2017 by Thomas Scott McEntee, a man with paranoid schizophrenia. Their son‑in‑law Charles Little warned that McEntee’s potential release next year could endanger both him and the public amid ongoing gaps in mental health services. Details from an inquest highlighted McEntee’s repeated, unsuccessful attempts to obtain help in the days before the killings, with an independent panel stating the deaths were preventable. Officials, including Northern Ireland’s mental health champion, described the updated guidance as a major but overdue improvement requiring full implementation.