A new outbreak of racist graffiti has been discovered in Holywood, County Down, with offensive slogans found at Seapark beach and at nearby housing used by residents over the age of 55. The messages were photographed over the weekend, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed it is investigating the incident as a hate-motivated crime.
North Down assembly member Connie Egan of the Alliance Party condemned the graffiti, describing it as part of an ongoing pattern of intolerance in the town.
There's nothing to gain from defacing your own community. Whoever is responsible for this should be absolutely ashamed.
Egan said she had raised the matter directly with police, urging them to commit additional resources to tackling repeated incidents in the area.
It's clearly a problem - it happened last month, it happened two weeks ago and it happened again last night.
Has this happened before in Holywood?
Yes, this is far from an isolated case. Racist graffiti appeared along the town's seafront in July, and further slogans were daubed on a subway at Strand Avenue at the start of August. According to Alliance councillor Gillian McCollum, the town had already experienced a separate outbreak of racist and sectarian graffiti on 3 August 2026, underlining that the vandalism forms part of a sustained, rather than isolated, problem. McCollum also specified that the subway graffiti was located on the pedestrian route linking Strand Avenue with the coastal path, and said Alliance representatives had contacted relevant agencies to request its urgent removal and the restoration of artwork that had previously covered the site.
What was found most recently?
According to a local news report, a further racist message reading "Blacks Out" was discovered beside a bench at Seapark on 16 August 2026. Police confirmed they were treating this latest discovery as a hate-motivated crime, consistent with their approach to the earlier incidents reported at the weekend.
How does this fit into wider tensions in the town?
The graffiti follows a series of racially motivated incidents in Holywood in recent weeks. Police investigated two racially motivated attacks on homes in the Church Green and Church Road areas on 2 August 2026, in which two children were injured. Separately, a report on 4 August 2026 described how a Syrian man living in Holywood said his life had been destroyed following another racially motivated attack, reflecting broader unease among residents from ethnic minority backgrounds in the town.
Egan stressed that the vandalism does not reflect the views of most people living in Holywood.
She said the graffiti did not represent the overwhelming majority of residents, who want the town to remain inclusive and welcoming, with everyone feeling safe.
In a statement, the PSNI said it was aware of the offensive graffiti in the Holywood area and was carrying out enquiries to establish exactly when the damage occurred.
There is no place in our society for this type of behaviour.
What happens next?
Police enquiries into the timing and those responsible for the vandalism remain ongoing. According to the same local news report, officers are continuing to appeal for information from anyone with knowledge of the incidents, and members of the public can contact police on 101, through online reporting channels, or via Crimestoppers.
- Racist graffiti has been found at multiple Holywood locations since July 2026, including Seapark beach, the Strand Avenue subway, and over-55s accommodation.
- A fresh "Blacks Out" message was discovered near a Seapark bench on 16 August 2026.
- Two children were injured in a racially motivated attack on homes in the town on 2 August 2026.
- Alliance representatives have asked agencies to remove the graffiti and restore damaged artwork at the subway.
- Police are treating the incidents as hate-motivated crimes and are appealing for information via 101 or Crimestoppers.
