Bomb found near Northern Ireland castle
( 2001-09-01 10:25 ) (7 )

A pipe bomb was defused Friday near one of Northern Ireland's most exclusive function venues in Belfast.

Army explosives experts made the device safe outside the gates to Belfast Castle in the north of the city where a wedding reception and another small event were being held.

Belfast Castle's assistant manager, who declined to give her name, stressed the incident had taken place a considerable distance away from the main building.

The discovery comes three days after army experts defused a large explosive devise in the resort town of Ballycastle, which was crammed with more than 100,000 visitors.

The Red Hand Defenders, a Protestant paramilitary group, claimed responsibility.

The following day two more pipe bombs were discovered at Ballycastle's Marine Hotel and at a nearby pub.

They were interpreted as the latest in a series of attacks mounted throughout Northern Ireland against Roman Catholic families and property.

The new alerts came at a delicate stage in Northern Ireland's troubled peace process.

Tensions were heightened last Friday when Northern Ireland's Catholic Sinn Fein party confirmed that it had rejected the British government's proposals to reform the province's police force, a key issue of disagreement holding up peace talks.

Most Protestants in Northern Ireland want to retain British rule over the province, while most Catholics want a united Ireland.