In a quiet little cul-de-sac on the southern edge of my home town this morning there came a horrible reminder of the past that Northern Ireland is striving to leave behind. Bangor itself had for a town its size been largely unaffected by the troubles, even at their height, it was a little oasis largely of peace not too far away from Belfast. It comes a day after a bomb went off outside Derry's Strand Road police stationed (where my Great Grandfather was once stationed).
However, this morning the presence of a booby-trap bomb under an army majors car shows that there are still dissidents out there who aren't happy with peace and Northern Ireland working together to secure its future. Thankfully the officer appears to have maintained the level of vigilance that all police and army had to keep during the troubles and didn't drive off in the car.
Local DUP MLA Peter Weir said:
"These terrorists have no support in the community and are beneath contempt."At this time the thoughts of everyone go out to the soldier and his family who have been callously targeted by these lawless criminals," he said.
"I have no doubt that by their actions, the criminals are trying to send a message that they can come in to a law-abiding and peaceful part of Northern Ireland in order to peddle their own brand of evil.
"They are mistaken."
The dissident republics are small in number but in recent months they seem to be upping the level of their activity. It is a shame when many want to move forward in peace that there are still attempts to kill and maim.
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