Incident Summary:

07/01/1998: The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF)was suspected in an arson attack on St. James Catholic Chapel in Aldergrove, Northern Ireland. No one was hurt in the attack. Other Catholic churches were also set on fire that night around Northern Ireland.

GTD ID:
199807010001

When:
1998-07-01

Country:
United Kingdom

Region:
Western Europe

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Northern Ireland

City:
Aldergrove

Location Details:
Antrim (County)

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Facility/Infrastructure Attack
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Religious Figures/Institutions
Name of Entity Roman Catholic Church
Specific Description St. James Chapel in Aldergrove
Nationality of Target Northern Ireland
Additional Information
Hostages No
Ransom No
Property Damage Yes
Extent of Property Damage Minor (likely < $1 million)
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Incendiary Arson/Fire
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?Yes
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Loyalist Volunteer Forces (LVF) (suspected) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators Unknown
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 0 Fatalities / 0 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 0
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured 0
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
Andrew Sparrow, “The night Ulster’s fanatics blazed a trail of desecration; You’ll never win, Blair tells arsonists who attacked ten churches,” Daily Mail (London), July 3, 1998.
“LVF's trail of terror,” The Journal, July 3, 1998.
John Murray Brown, "Northern Ireland Prime Minister Describes Sectarian Bombings as 'Barbarous'," Financial Times, July 3, 1998.