Rasharkin Orange lodge targeted 51 times in 30 years as members describe fear and intimidation

Graffiti sprayed on Rasharkin Orange Hall in July

Monday 2 November 2026

Members of an Orange lodge in Rasharkin say decades of sectarian attacks have left them afraid to celebrate their culture openly, with their hall targeted in 51 incidents over the past 30 years.

The claims have prompted renewed scrutiny of the police response, with North Antrim MP Jim Allister demanding greater accountability from the PSNI after lodge members publicly described the impact of repeated intimidation on their community.

Rasharkin Chosen Few Orange Lodge believes its hall is the most frequently attacked Orange hall in Northern Ireland. Members say the sustained targeting has forced them to change how they use the building, organise events and protect themselves.

Decades of attacks leave lasting impact

Speaking to BBC News NI, lodge member Leigh Gerrow described incidents ranging from sectarian graffiti to attempts to set fire to the building.

The hall now has steel doors and no windows, while members avoid parking their cars outside because of fears they could be attacked.

"Sometimes you need to take a step back and realise that's not a normal way to be living," he said.

Gerrow described the attacks as "an attempt to incite, intimidate, threaten and at times provoke a reaction as well".

"It's not just an attack on an Orange hall, it's an attack on what that hall represents and what it stands for and the community that it represents," he said.

"It sends a very clear message from the perpetrators to the members of my community: 'You are not wanted here.'"

CCTV footage raises questions over police response

The lodge has also expressed frustration with the PSNI following incidents captured on CCTV in July 2025 and June 2026.

Footage from 12 July 2025 showed masked individuals painting "INLA" on the road outside the hall. At approximately 1.15am, a police patrol vehicle drove over the freshly painted graffiti without stopping, shortly after the individuals had disappeared from view.

Vandals subsequently threw paint at the hall. Separate footage from June 2026 showed a masked individual spraying sectarian slogans on the building.

Gerrow said both recordings were provided to police and criticised the decision not to release them publicly.

"Sadly and disappointedly, I'd say the police have handled this really badly," he said.

The PSNI said officers had been patrolling Rasharkin approximately 10 minutes before the reported criminal damage on 12 July 2025.

According to police, officers responded from Kilrea as soon as a report was received at 1.22am, approximately seven minutes after the patrol vehicle was recorded passing the hall. Police said nobody was present when officers had been in the area.

A spokesperson added that CCTV footage from both incidents had been examined but was considered "unsuitable" for a public appeal.

Community events affected by security fears

The consequences extend beyond damage to the building itself, with lodge members saying the threat of further attacks has restricted fundraising and community activities.

Worshipful Master Rodney Cubitt said charity events were deliberately organised during daylight hours because members felt safer than they would in the evening.

"We would like to run some events here at night but we feel it's more safe to have them during the day," he said.

The lodge traces its history to 1796, and Cubitt said maintaining a presence in Rasharkin remained important despite the difficulties.

"It makes us harder to promote and to encourage people to come and join our ranks," he said.

He stressed that members did not believe the hostility reflected the attitudes of the wider village.

"We feel that the vast majority in this area would have great tolerance for us and respect and we appreciate that.

"It's only a very small minority in this village that has an aggressive approach to our culture."

MP calls for scrutiny of PSNI action

Responding to the BBC report, Traditional Unionist Voice MP for North Antrim, Jim Allister, welcomed the lodge's decision to speak publicly about its experiences.

“I welcome the fact that the local lodge has found the courage to speak out and highlight the long litany of attacks on the hall.

”The latest attack on Rasharkin Chosen Few Orange Hall, including the daubing of “IRA” on its walls, once again demonstrates the damaging legacy of terrorism and its continued glorification by Sinn Fein.

“Thirty years on from the Belfast Agreement, it is unacceptable that the symbols and slogans the IRA are still being used to intimidate people from a Protestant and Unionist background. They are calculated acts of sectarian intimidation aimed at a community's identity, culture and traditions.

“With 51 recorded attacks over three decades, this hall has endured a sustained campaign of targeting. The members of the lodge, and the wider community, have every right to ask why this has been allowed to continue for so long.

“The PSNI must do better. Its action plan must now be subjected to rigorous scrutiny and judged on results, not rhetoric. If the police are serious about protecting communities, then those from a Protestant and Unionist background must be afforded the same protection, confidence and freedom from intimidation as anyone else.

“There is a particular onus on the PSNI to finally be seen to act in light of recent revelations that policing operations and decisions are influenced by the “feelings of the PIRA”.”

Mr Allister's comments concerning Sinn Féin and alleged influences on policing are political claims made by the MP, rather than findings established by the BBC report.

Hate crimes against Orange halls across Northern Ireland

The Rasharkin experience comes against a wider backdrop of attacks on Orange and Apprentice Boys' halls.

According to figures reported by BBC News NI, police recorded 17 hate crimes targeting such halls across Northern Ireland in the past year, an increase on each of the previous two years and the second-highest annual total in five years.

The figure relates to recorded hate crimes across Northern Ireland and should not be confused with the 51 incidents the Rasharkin lodge says it has experienced over three decades.

For members of Rasharkin Chosen Few, the immediate concern is whether they can continue their traditions, welcome new members and organise community activities without fear. Their accounts raise an enduring question for policing and community relations: how can a lodge with a history stretching back more than two centuries be protected from intimidation while maintaining its place in village life?

The original BBC News NI investigation, including the lodge members' accounts and the PSNI response, can be read here.