Position of ICRIR lead investigator ‘untenable’ says NI Human Rights Commissioner
Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, July 14th, 2025
THE head of a human rights body set up under the Good Friday Agreement has made unprecedented criticisms of the British government’s legacy body.
Alyson Kilpatrick, chief commissioner at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, has castigated the role and governance of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (IC-RIR). The organisation Ms Kilpatrick leads was set up as part of the Good Friday Agreement to ensure that the north’s institutions comply with human rights.
In an interview with the Irish News, Ms Kilpatrick sets out her concerns.
She maintains that the ICRIR lead investigator cannot be independent given his former role as a senior police officer and concludes that his position is “untenable”.
She questions the possible conflicts of interests of the chief commissioner of the ICRIR, who also serves as a supplementary panel member of the Supreme Court.
She has concerns about ICRIR’s “governance arrangements” along with “the control that the secretary of state for Northern Ireland has over the whole commission”.
Last month, The Irish News revealed that up to 26 former RUC officers, staff and British soldiers are currently working for the ICRIR.
It was established under the Conservative Party’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, which ended all inquests a nd civil cases, along with introducing conditional immunity.
The chief commissioner of the ICRIR is former Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, while former PSNI assistant chief constable Peter Sheridan is commissioner for investigations.
Former head of RUC Intelligence Unit
A former RUC member, Mr Sheridan headed the Crime Operations Department, which included the C3 intelligence unit, often referred to Special Branch.
He retired in 2008 after 32 years in the police and was later appointed as chief executive of Co-Operation Ireland – an all-Ireland peace building organisation.
Ms Kilpatrick has primary concerns about the commission centred on its structure and “governance arrangements” along with “the control that the secretary of state for Northern Ireland has over the whole commission”.
Secretary of State Hilary Benn last year said he intends to introduce a remedial order, which amends exiting legislation, to remove all provision relating to immunity and that future civil proceedings will be allowed to proceed.
The Labour MP said he also intends to introduce primary legislation to restore inquests, beginning with those halted by the legacy act.
The promised reforms have yet to be made.
Although the British government says it has plans to repeal and replace the contested Act, it intends to retain the ICRIR.
Many legal challenges
The legacy body has faced legal challenges from relatives of people killed during the Troubles, including the widow of Seamus Dillon, who was shot dead by loyalists in 1997.
Last year the Court of Appeal found that a British government veto over sensitive material that can be disclosed by the commission is not compatible with human rights laws.
The court also ruled that the ICRIR does not provide victims and their next of kin adequate means to participate in its processes.
Many people impacted by the Troubles are opposed to the legacy body, believing it was designed to protect state participants.
Mr Benn is appealing against parts of the judgment to the Supreme Court.
Mr Morgan is currently a judicial commissioner at the Investigatory Powers Commission and a supplementary panel member of the UK Supreme Court.
Ms Kilpatrick, whose organisation is an intervenor in the pending Supreme Court proceedings, said dealing with potential conflicts of interest can be complex.
Conflicts of interest
“The way conflict of interest works is that it’s for the person who may have the conflict and, in this case, the president of the Supreme Court, to decide,” she said.
She added that potential conflicts can be difficult to handle for members of the legal profession.
“That is a very difficult and uncomfortable position to be in, and I would say the vast majority of lawyers would not feel comfortable making that sort of submission to a judge – that they had a conflict of interest,” she said.
“Which is why judges are not supposed to have any other jobs when they are sitting on the bench.”
Ms Kilpatrick suggested some lawyers are reluctant to highlight potential conflicts of interest.
“I know some members of the legal profession would be less comfortable arguing against the ICRIR knowing that some day they may come in front of the Supreme Court panel that may include a person whom they have maligned,” she said.
While Mr Morgan might not be appointed to hear any cases linked to the ICRIR, wider issues relating to confidence arise, according to Ms Kilpatrick.
“And it’s not just about hearing the case, being a decision maker on the cases, it’s about being part of that network that is seen to be the final arbiter of a case,” she said.
“It’s not my decision, and I don’t know enough about the rules of the Supreme Court to know whether, as in the appointment processes, I couldn’t suggest that he has necessarily done anything wrong.
“But your question, ‘is there a difficulty with it’, and I think yes.”
During proceedings linked to the Dillon case last year, lawyers for the commission made reference to the “practical independence” of Mr Sheridan.
Sheridan may have investigated cases coming before ICRIR
“It was put in our written submissions and our counsel on his feet did refer to the fact that the chief investigator was a former, very senior, police officer, who at the very least would have trained alongside, trained, investigated, mentored or been mentored by people who may now be implicated in some of these investigations,” Ms Kilpatrick said.
Ms Kilpatrick believes it is impossible for Mr Sheridan to remove himself from all investigations where there is potential conflict.
“But when the chief investigator was responsible for the whole force, he was that senior, it’s impossible for him to recuse himself from every investigation, every single investigation may involve somebody, either himself, somebody he knows very well, somebody he worked with etc,” she said.
“So, it’s an impossible task to recuse himself from it and you would have to recuse himself from the whole structure, is what we would say.”
Ms Kilpatrick said that authorities have human rights obligations.
“Nothing personal, absolutely nothing personal, very distinguished man, very distinguished career, and I am sure he knows many a question to ask, but that’s not the point,” she said.
“The point about this is the state has a human rights obligation.”
Ms Kilpatrick said society as a whole expects legacy cases to be “investigated effectively and independently” adding that “means independent of those implicated”.
“And unfortunately, in Northern Ireland, we know that some of the people who are implicated are former police officers, former army or security service,” she said.
“We know this, it’s not in dispute. “So, that being the case, having senior leadership coming from all those branches just seems to be unacceptable, in my view, not my personal view, in human rights terms.”
Majority of victims relatives sceptical
Ms Kilpatrick believes the majority of relatives view Mr Sheridan’s role as untenable.
“If you ask the families, I suspect most of them will tell you ‘no’, his position is simply untenable and the fact that he took the position, the fact that he said he consulted with paramilitaries before taking it, all of that is on the record, the fact that he was a very senior, central officer during some of this period of time would make it untenable,” she said.
“And that in itself is very, very persuasive because if they say it’s about reconciliation and about families and getting truth, then surely the first people you try and convince are the families.
“If they say it’s not tenable then why persist any longer, what’s the point?”
Significantly, the human rights expert does not believe Mr Sheridan’s position is tenable in the context of Article Two of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to life.
“My job is more as an advisor and assessor of the human rights compliance, I don’t think it’s tenable in Article Two compliance terms,” she said.
“Because there has to be hierarchical independence, there has to be institutional independence and there has to be practical independence.
“And if you look at some of the human rights cases, situations were far fewer investigators of a much lower rank were involved in investigations and the court said that wasn’t sufficiently independent.
“So, in my view any objective person applying the human rights cases as they stand at the minute would say it’s not tenable in terms of practical independence.”
Ms Kilpatrick added this view “is only strengthening the more we hear about how its staffed”.
Failure to demonstrate independence
“As far as I can tell there’s a very high number of people, even if not RUC, army or security service, involved in the policing family in Northern Ireland,” she said.
“So, a lot of the others have been taken from Kenova, not former RUC or PSNI, but police.
“Also the Police Ombudsman’s Office also engaged in some of these investigations.
“Everyone has some interest, if not necessarily a bad motive, but an interest in proving points if nothing else.”
Ms Kilpatrick contends that both Mr Sheridan and Mr Morgan have failed to demonstrate independence.
“The other point I would make about the occupation of those two senior roles is since the set-up of ICRIR there have been many opportunities to engage with the families more directly, to share information, to be transparent, demonstrate the independence, and in my view they have failed to do that since being set up,” she said.
“And in fact, they have become maybe a little more combative than they needed to over those issues.
ICRIR Chief Commissioner Sir Declan Morgan
“ It is disappointing that the head of another UK government arms-length body responsible for human rights does not appear to accept this settled UK caselaw
“And I think that’s a problem.”
“Article Two is not some dry, technical, legal thing, it’s about securing public confidence, it’s about making sure the state’s accountable for what it did, even during conflict situations.
“It’s about making sure that the people affected and wider society can go to bed at night knowing that the people who are telling them what happened are independent and have no interest in it, no personal interest whatsoever.”
She added that the majority of people recognise independence when they encounter it.
“No inference on those people, we know what independence is when we see it,” she said.
“And we know what independence isn’t.”
“If the legal independence isn’t there, families don’t accept it, then what is the purpose in continuing because it can’t be reconciliation?”
ICRIR disappointed Commisioner has declined offer to meet
An ICRIR spokesperson said: “The High Court and Appeal Court in Northern Ireland have clearly and unequivocally declared that the IC-RIR is an appropriately independent public authority, both operationally, organisationally, and in relation to its governance and sponsorship arrangements. In particular, the courts concluded: ‘The fact that the commissioner for investigations is a former RUC/PSNI officer does not mean he lacks the necessary independence to carry out investigations into legacy issues.’
“It is disappointing that the head of another UK government arms length body responsible for human rights does not appear to accept this settled UK caselaw, recently deter-mined by the UK Supreme Court as ‘not an arguable point of law’, and it would be interesting to know whether the chief commissioner’s attacks on Sir Declan Morgan and Peter Sheridan reflect the respective opinions of all NIHRC commissioners.
“The ICRIR renews its invitation for the NIHRC chief commissioner to meet with the ICRIR to hear the facts about our organisation, and to join us in building principles of equality, inclusion, rights, and reconciliation as we seek the unvarnished truth about the legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict.”
A spokesperson for the Supreme Court said Sir Declan “would not sit in any appeal which gave rise to a conflict of interest”.
“The supplementary panel is a group of judges on whom the court can call if and when additional judges are needed,” they said.
“They have no involvement in any case unless they are requested to sit as a member of the court hearing that appeal.”
Ms Kilpatrick has previously worked as an independent human rights legal advisor to the Policing Board and in 2016 was appointed special legal advisor to the UK’s Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.
In the past she carried out a review of European Convention on Human Rights compliance on a number legacy investigations under Operation Kenova.
She currently sits on the Group of Experts and Stakeholders with the McCullough Review, which is investigating allegations that the PSNI spied on journalists, lawyers and others.
She took up her role as chief commissioner to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in 2021.
How mad does bonfire asbestos row make us look to rest of world?
Allison Morris, Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
Who would have known that the buzzword from this year's eleventh night bonfires would be “asbestos”.
Those running social media accounts that transferred their sectarianism to racism around the same time as the hate riots last August, are now seemingly experts on the dangerous building material found at the site of a pyre just off the Donegall Road in south Belfast.
Asbestos was once commonly used in insulation, roofing and flooring. It wouldn't be until the late Nineties that it was banned after research showed its fibres led to serious health problems, including cancer.
I have been covering bonfires and parades for over 20 years and in that time I have pretty much seen it all — the good, the bad and the potentially life-threatening consequences of the fires which form part of the loyalist tradition.
I've written about dozens of contentious pyres, visited sites where the, mainly young men, would have welcomed us and shown the media around, proud of their handiwork.
And others, when I've been threatened with violence because I kick with the other foot.
When I was growing up we would have had a bonfire at the top of our street on August 8, the night before the anniversary of internment.
It wasn't one of the enormous, gravity-defying jenga-style pallet structures loyalists build, but old doors, furniture, mattresses and tyres.
There wasn't as much — in fact any — awareness at the time of the dangers of burning hazardous materials. After all, it was the Seventies in west Belfast and there were 100 other ways to potentially die young that didn't involve burning a tractor tyre.
If you take a look through Lost Lives, the book that documents every man, woman and child murdered here during the Troubles, you'll see a pattern in and around August 8 and 9 every year in the Seventies and early Eighties.
People were dying, being shot in street disorder and riots associated with that time.
We don't have bonfires anymore. The Divis and New Lodge ones, magnets for drugs and antisocial behaviour, haven't taken place in years, thank goodness.
There is a bonfire in Derry in August that often ends in rioting and the arrest of young people. It's for the people of that city to call time on this.
Game Changer
In west Belfast the success of Feile an Phobail was a game changer — the young people will dance in Falls Park to DJs whose names I'm far too old to recognise on August 8, and long may that newish tradition continue.
It could be argued republicans were not as attached to bonfires as loyalists, who see it as part of a tradition to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. And that's fine, difference is a good thing. The majority of the 300 fires lit on the eleventh night pass without incident, most of them small to medium-sized structures attended by families.
But there are always the predictable ones that cause issues every year.
Moygashel, with that gruesome image of a boat full of brown-skinned mannequins dressed to look like migrants, has to the be the worst I've seen in my time. The 'Irish patriots' — the growing far right across the border — thought they'd found their kindred spirits among the Ulster loyalists.
The 'Coolock says no' squad's night in the Royal Bar in Sandy Row last year led them to believe they were all 'besties', united in a joint cause of hating anyone who looks or sounds a bit foreign.
The boat of migrant effigies also included a large tricolour, just to remind the naive racists in the south that they may not be public enemy number one anymore, but they do come a close second.
Despite all the warnings, the south Belfast bonfire went ahead.
We won't know how many people breathed in deadly asbestos fibres — it'll be a wee surprise for them during a lung scan in 20 years' time when the fun of the bonfire is long forgotten. What it does show is just how dysfunctional this place is, how insane we must look to outsiders.
I'm not a big fan of the snobby 'school prefect' types preaching to working-class communities about how they should act and behave.
I wouldn't have taken kindly to them wafting in and out of my community 20 or 30 years ago, patronising the people.
But I do know that each generation should strive for better, should hope that the children who come behind them enjoy more opportunities and a better life than they did.
There are victories like your child winning a medal at sports day, scoring a goal, or being the first generation accepted to university, maybe even securing a good job and getting on the property ladder.
What isn't a win, what isn't a big victory for loyalism, is ignoring all the warnings to have a bonfire in a wasteground littered with asbestos.
Civil rights veterans join Derry rally
Clodagh Traynor, Irish News, July 14th, 2025
A PROTEST took place in Derry on Saturday in response to the UK government’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a proscribed terrorist organisation.
A crowd, including some individuals involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, attended a ‘Defend the Right to Protest’ rally at Guildhall Square.
It followed last month’s announcement by British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper of plans to ban Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The ban officially came into effect last week, following a vote in the House of Commons.
Three hundred and eighty-five MPs voted in favour of the measure. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood among 26 who opposed it.
The rally in support of Palestine was addressed by veteran activist Eamonn McCann.
Mr McCann was spoken to by a PSNI officer before the rally began.
Speaking after the ban, Mr McCann described the decision as “the biggest threat to civil liberties here since the civil rights movement was battered off the streets close on 60 years ago.”
Several members of the PSNI observed the rally from a distance, but no arrests were made, despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise.
At the same time, protests were held across England and Wales. In central London, crowds gathered for the second weekend in a row.
The Metropolitan Police, who had warned that public support for Palestine Action could constitute a criminal offence, made 42 arrests.
In Manchester, 16 people were arrested during protests, while demonstrations also took place in Cardiff.
DUP's Cameron lays wreath at Irish National War Memorial Gardens
PRESS ASSOCIATION, Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
A DUP junior minister has said it was “an absolute privilege to have laid a wreath” at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens.
The gardens in Islandbridge, a Dublin suburb, are dedicated to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who died in the First World War. Ceremonies took place across the Republic to honour all Irish casualties who died in wars or on service with the United Nations and other international organisations.
DUP junior minister Pam Cameron tweeted that it had been “an absolute privilege to have laid a wreath on behalf of the deputy First Minister and the Northern Ireland Executive this 12th of July at the Annual Ceremony of Remembrance, Irish National War Memorial Gardens. #lestweforget”.
Irish President Michael D Higgins laid a wreath at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin, which was also attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tanaiste Simon Harris, other government ministers and members of the Council of State. It was the 14th National Day of Commemoration attended by Mr Higgins as president and the last before he leaves office later this year.
Former Presbyterian Moderator, the Very Rev Dr David Bruce, represented the church at the event in Kilmainham.
Speaking about the event, Dr Bruce said that it has always been “a great sense of privilege personally, and for the Presbyterian community as a whole, to take part in this national commemoration”.
Representatives from veterans' organisations, the diplomatic corps and the defence forces were also in attendance.
Mr Martin told the ceremony: “It is fitting that we remember here today all those Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or on military service with United Nations or other international organisations in the service of peace.”
An act of commemoration was led by leaders from various faiths.
The ceremony concluded with a wreath-laying by President Higgins on behalf of the people of Ireland, followed by a fly-past by the Air Corps.
Hounding of veterans through the courts sickening, says Braverman
James McAnaney, Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
EX-HOME SECRETARY SAYS GOVERNMENT 'HAS SURRENDERED TO THE IRA AND SF'
Suella Braverman has said the Government's approach to the prosecution of veterans is “sickening”.
The former Home Secretary was responding to a story in The Sunday Times about an Army veteran who was fined for failing to give evidence to an inquest into a Troubles-related incident.
It gives details on the mental ill health of a soldier connected to the 1991 ambush in Coagh, where three IRA men were shot dead by the SAS.
The former serviceman is known as 'Soldier F'. However, he is not the same person as the former paratrooper also known as Soldier F who has been charged with two murders and five attempted murders on Bloody Sunday, and who has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Three men, Peter Ryan, Tony Doris and Lawrence McNally, were killed by the SAS as they drove a stolen car through the Co Tyrone village.
According to The Sunday Times, the soldier involved in the Coagh incident suffers from serious mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and his symptoms are said to include mood swings, visual hallucinations and low moods.
Ms Braverman posted on X: “The government's surrender to Sinn Fein and the IRA is disgusting. How are terrorists able to walk free but our brave veterans are hounded through the courts for keeping us safe and doing their duty? Sickening.”
The former Conservative Party leadership candidate has been highly critical of the current Government's approach to legacy issues, which is seeking to repeal the Northern Ireland Legacy Act passed by the former Tory government that she was a part of.
Disabled veteran has prison sentence reduced to fine
The Sunday Times spoke to Soldier F on a call that was also joined by his solicitor. They were told he also has serious mobility issues, is unable to climb the stairs in his home, and has had a wet room installed to allow him to shower.
He was asked by a coroner to give evidence to an inquest into the deaths of the three IRA men.
He failed to comply with the subpoena, with his lawyers arguing that he was unable to do so due to ill health.
The coroner initially imposed a six-month jail sentence on him, before the sentence was reduced to a £6,000 fine on appeal.
He said the original sentence “felt like total betrayal. I felt really isolated. The Government had let me down really badly”.
The inquest into the Coagh ambush found that the use of lethal force was justified as the soldiers had an honest belief that the use of force was necessary to prevent the loss of life.
However the coroner, Mr Justice Humphreys, criticised soldiers who destroyed surveillance footage of the Coagh incident. He also described the RUC's investigation of the shootings as “wholly inadequate”.
Relatives of the IRA men expressed disappointment at the findings of the inquest, and have maintained that the Army unit was operating under a “shoot-to-kill” policy.
Increasing cross-border anti-immigration protest coordination says report
Conor Coyle, Irish News, July 14th, 2025
The report cites the attendance of Dublin-based group Coolock Says No at anti-immigration protests in Belfast
ANTI-immigration protests and race hate incidents across Ireland are increasingly being coordinated as part of a “cross-border infrastructure”, a leading think tank on anti-extremism has reported.
There is also increasing evidence of an international element to anti-immigration protests on both sides of the border, including from Russian-linked actors, the report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue has said.
In August 2024 rioting erupted on the streets of Belfast and other parts of the north in the wake of the Southport riots in England, while last month anti-immigration protests led to widespread racist hate attacks on immigrants’ homes in Ballymena.
The report was released this week and was written by extremism expert Zoe Manzi, who concluded that there had been a significant rise in cooperation between loyalists in the north and “ethnonationalists” in the south.
“Cross-border coordination between ethnonationalist groups in Ireland and Northern Irish loyalist communities is a notable development given the region’s long-standing political and ideological divisions,” the report states.
“Traditionally, nationalist and loyalist constituencies have operated in ideological opposition with distinct identities, objectives and historical narratives.
“Emerging collaboration between actors on either side of the border marks a significant shift in the political landscape suggesting that shared perceived grievances can override older sectarian fault lines.”
The report cites the attendance of Dublin-based group Coolock Says No at anti-immigration protests in Belfast last year alongside the appearance of former UVF members at protests in Limerick last month.
“Anti-migrant mobilisation across the island of Ireland has entered a new, more organised phase,” it said.
“What began as scattered, localised protests in late 2022 have evolved into an increasingly structured and internationally connected movement.
“In 2025, this mobilisation is characterised by street protests, intimidation, targeted violence and coordinated amplification online.”
Ms Manzi suggests there is also increasing evidence that that farright movements on both sides of the border are being amplified by Russian-backed groups on social media.
“Russian-aligned propaganda outlets are also actively engaged in promoting polarising and anti-migrant content,” she says.
“One example is Pravda Ireland, an account which is not state run but consistently aligned with Russia’s strategic interests, and publishes content in both the English and Irish languages.
“This activity reflects a broader playbook of Russian and pro-Russian strategic communication: amplifying local grievances, sowing distrust in public institutions, and stoking polarisation by co-opting the language of cultural and demographic threat.”
Bonfires and the Twelfth, Letters, Irish Times, July 14th, 2025
Sir, – The burning of a migrant boat effigy on a loyalist bonfire has shocked decent people north and south and I see that Amnesty International has added its voice to condemnation of the “protest”.
Though it was indeed an offensive and provocative incident, was it any worse than the nationwide displays of bigotry we’ve witnessed here over the past three years? Banners with hateful slogans like “Get them out!” and Ireland for the Irish!” have appeared in towns across the land.
Those who attend these protests appear offended when asked if they consider themselves to be racist.
“Oh God no, of course not”, they plead, “we’re just concerned about services in the area, the number of GPs ... sure otherwise we’d be delighted to see them coming...”
I suggest there needs to be an urgent emphasis on anti-racism courses in all primary and second-level schools. These courses should be comprehensive and professionally delivered.
Judging by the degree of venom, ignorance and naked hostility evident at anti-immigrant marches and pickets, we’ve already lost a sizeable minority of the population to the politics of hate and division.
Let us act now to reclaim our decency as a nation. From an early age, children could be taught that there’s a world of difference between patriotism and racism; between fascism and traditional nationalism.
They might be taught that there’s no “plantation” under way in Ireland akin to the ones undertaken by various English kings and queens and by Cromwell. No attempt to “replace” us all with another set of people – that conspiracy theories beloved of internet keyboard warriors are madcap claims that have no more credence or provenance than has the most fanciful fairytale.
A major anti-racism drive in the schools mightn’t help present-day victims of that age-old insidious and destructive human vice, but it might ensure that we don’t end up with another generation of bigots wrapping themselves in the tricolour as they seek to dehumanise people who’ve lost everything and whose only “crime” is to look “different”. – Yours, etc,
JOHN FITZGERALD,
Lower Coyne Street,
Kilkenny.
DUP's Jonathan Buckley defends 'amazing' financial impact of Twelfth after 'disaster for tourism' criticism
Amy Cochrane, Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
SDLP AND DUP MLAS CLASH OVER ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ANNUAL EVENT
A claim by an SDLP MLA that the Twelfth is a “disaster for tourism” has been criticised by a political opponent.
The row comes after Sinead McLaughlin shared a post by DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley questioning Tourism NI's publicity for key events over the summer, including Belfast Pride, Belfast TradFest and Féile an Phobail.
He wrote on X: “Discover Northern Ireland — Missing something? Let's fix that for them: 12th July.”
Ms McLaughlin said in response to the post: “Everybody leaves, everything closes down, you would struggle to get a restaurant opened in Belfast on the lead-up to and the couple of days after.
“It is a disaster for tourism. Honestly if you can't see this Jonathan you are living in a parallel universe. It's sad truth.”
On Saturday her party colleague Matthew O'Toole took to social media to address “constituents celebrating the Twelfth”.
“Warm wishes and enjoy yourself, but most importantly, from someone who knows: wear sunscreen!” he told them.
Mr Buckley later replied: “Thanks Matthew, make sure to tell Sinead McLaughlin.”
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph about her comments, Mr Buckley said: “I think that's totally devoid of reality given the fact that it consistently shows that, if you take the Twelfth coverage right over Northern Ireland and you take in all of those participating and watching — whether that be in the Orange or in the bands — it consistently shows that over 500,000 people across Northern Ireland celebrate and take part.
“There are hotels that are booked up, whether it's people coming from England, Scotland, Wales or further afield.
“In Keady yesterday I was talking to a family from Texas, which is not uncommon — people come from all over the world.
“It shows more of a reflection of Sinead's own prejudice on this.”
He said reports estimate the festivities bring in £15m to the local economy.
He added: “So, from my perspective, and indeed it's evidenced out in research, that by and large it is a positive contribution to tourism.
“You may see imagery of shops closing in Belfast and things like that on the Twelfth, but people do take a holiday, it is a public holiday in Northern Ireland, so maybe some of those workers want to take a break to enjoy the day with their family.
“Others do a roaring trade on the Twelfth and, in any event, where you'd see 500,000 people out on the streets, there is going to be a significant financial return.
“It's amazing what the financial impact can be, and I think it's a very positive one.”
He said the Twelfth was a “family day out” where local towns and villages enjoyed an economic benefit.
He insisted: “It's the same when we go to Sinead's constituency in the Foyle.
“I'm actually surprised at Sinead using the words 'disaster for tourism' because it shows in just the amount of people coming to your own constituency to celebrate Orange culture can really have a long-lasting and significant impact.
“Knowing Sinead personally, this is very out of character — I think sometimes people can tweet in a reactionary way rather than reflecting reality.
“I'm not aware of anyone from the SDLP ever saying it was a disaster for tourism.
“I'm shocked she used that language, and I think it's quite out of step with any reality.”
The SDLP was contacted for a comment.
‘Have a great night everyone': DUP MLA shared photos of bonfire adorned with Irish tricolours
Liam Tunney, Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
KINGSTON URGED HIS FOLLOWERS TO 'HAVE A GREAT' ELEVENTH NIGHT
A DUP MLA shared a photograph of a Belfast bonfire adorned with Irish tricolours on social media as he urged followers to “have a great” Eleventh night.
Brian Kingston shared the image on his Facebook page on Friday evening.
The bonfire in the Glencairn area had an Irish flag fixed to the top of it with a tricolour on each tier leading to the ground.
A sign is also present in the image, while a Union flag can be seen erected on a nearby pole.
“Some North Belfast 11th night bonfires,” the caption read.
“Have a great night everyone and a great 12th tomorrow.”
The former Lord Mayor of Belfast and the DUP have been approached for comment.
A Sinn Fein spokesperson said: “Sadly, sectarian scenes like this have been repeated across the north this week.
“What message does it send when a DUP MLA posts a photo of a bonfire in Glencairn with numerous Irish tricolours on it?
“Political unionism needs to be clear they do not support acts like this which are clearly designed to stoke division and tension between communities.”
Apology
In 2020, outgoing DUP deputy mayor of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council, Margaret Tinsley, issued an apology after being pictured at a Portadown bonfire the previous July as an Irish tricolour burned in the background.
Mr Kingston's post comes after effigies, flags and sectarian messages were attached to a series of bonfires which were lit across NI on Friday night.
At Eastvale in Dungannon, a poster featuring rap trio Kneecap along with a number of sectarian slogans were attached to the bonfire, while Sandy Row's pyre featured an effigy wearing a Celtic top and a tricolour balaclava alongside a number of Palestinian flags.
A poster reading “F**k Kneecap and Palestine” had been fixed to the structure along with another notice reading “Stop the Boats. Deport Illegals. Stop the Invasion”.
The rappers also featured on the controversial Village bonfire which sparked safety concerns after loose asbestos was located at five different locations on the site.
Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey described similar sectarian displays in west Belfast as “sickening”.
Offensive banners appeared on a pyre alongside Irish tricolours in the Highfield area near the Shankill, with police confirming the incident is being treated as “motivated by hate”.
This year's celebrations for both the Eleventh Night and Twelfth passed off largely without incident.
Members of a loyalist band were filmed breaking into a rendition of The Sash just yards from the office of a Sinn Fein MLA in north Belfast on Saturday. Footage of the incident appears to show members of the Rathcoole Protestant Boys band singing while parading outside Gerry Kelly's office on the Antrim Road.
The Parades Commission had imposed a number of conditions on the march including the prohibiting of undue stoppages or delays.
Participants had also been ordered to “refrain from using words or behaviour which could reasonably be perceived as intentionally sectarian” amid local fears of disruption.
Parade passes through interface peacefully despite ‘trepidation’
Jonathan McCambridge, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, July 14th, 2025
AN ORANGE Order parade has passed the interface Ardoyne shops area in north Belfast without incident.
The PSNI mounted a security operation after the Parades Commission granted permission for the homeward part of the Twelfth parade to take place yesterday morning.
The area had been the location for violent confrontations linked to Orange marches in the past.
However, a deal was reached in 2016 which instigated a moratorium on return parades while engagement over future agreement between the Orange Order and a nationalist residents’ group was sought.
The return parade yesterday – applied for under the name ‘The Ligoniel Combine’ – involved one band and 50 members, with only hymn music permitted on its way past through the area.
There was no protest staged by residents as the march passed through.
Fr Gary Donegan, director of the Passionist Peace and Reconciliation Office, said there had been “trepidation” in the Ardoyne community about the parade.
He said: “We had eight years of an agreement which facilitated morning parades with no return. Things started to break down in that agreement two years ago.
“Ultimately, yesterday passed by peacefully with no issues, but the return was always the issue.
“When it was determined this would actually happen there was a lot of sense of trepidation within the community, a lot of sense of tension. “People were just hoping it would pass by, which it did.
“Now we can get on with the Sunday Masses and services as normal.”
Fr Donegan said there had been a “conscious decision” by the community not to hold a physical protest against the march.
He said: “Because of the sense of the tension in the lead-up to this, the less attention drawn to it the better.
“It passed through there, it is over and now we can start to go back to normality again.”
Fr Donegan said future return Orange parades through the area are now in the “hands of the Parades Commission”.
He said: “There was an agreement that took a lot of negotiating at the time.
“Now that that seems to be no longer in existence, it is going to be each and every time the issues that pertain to this are going to be on the table each time this happens.”
The parade followed traditional Twelfth of July celebrations on Saturday which brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets across Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, the traditional July 13 events organised by the Royal Black Preceptory in the village of Scarva, Co Armagh, will take place today.
The event includes a parade as well as a sham fight between actors playing rival monarchs William and James.
'Reckless stupidity': Co Antrim GAA club suffers suspected arson attack on premises
Liam Tunney, Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
A suspected arson attack on a west Belfast GAA club was an example of “reckless stupidity”, a Sinn Fein councillor has said.
Damage was sustained to a club shop and scoreboard at Lámh Dhearg CLG in Hannahstown, on the outskirts of Belfast on Saturday evening.
Photographs taken during the incident appear to show the shop engulfed in flames.
The incident comes just hours before the GAA club were set to begin their annual summer camp on the premises.
It is understood the NI Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) attended the incident.
In a statement released following the fire, Lámh Dhearg CLG said they were “deeply concerned”.
“As our club makes preparations for hosting a wide range of kids camps and championship games over the summer period our club facilities have been deliberately targeted this weekend,” said a spokesperson.
“Our club shop, scoreboard and Pitch in Patrons signage board which celebrated the recent opening of our new pitch were all destroyed in a fire.
“The club has made great efforts in recent years to improve our club facilities for our members and local community and are deeply concerned by this act of vandalism at a time when our facilities are needed the most. This event has made us more determined to make good the damage and to continue to provide the best facilities for the benefit of so many in our community.”
Councillor Alder Carson, who posted pictures from the incident to his Facebook page, said the incident should be “condemned without reservation”.
“Lámh Dhearg supported by it members and the local community work relentlessly to provide top class facilities and services that give hope and opportunity to young and old alike,” he said. “This is an attack on everyone of them.”
The PSNI has been approached for comment.
'A lot of people haven't crossed the border... we have to break down the idea we're different'
Suzanne Breen, Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
SENATOR PATRICIA STEPHENSON, ONE OF JUST THREE POLITICIANS BORN IN NORTHERN IRELAND IN THE OIREACHTAS, JOURNEYED THERE VIA BELFAST AND SOUTH SUDAN, WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE UNDERPINNING EVERY STEP
Patricia Stephenson took the scenic route into Irish politics. Her family home in south Belfast was bombed by the UVF in 1993 because her father was an SDLP councillor.
Stephenson joined the party very briefly as a teenager but, when the straight A student went to Oxford, she was no longer politically active.
After a master's degree, she made a choice that few twentysomethings do. She went to Africa as an aid worker, and stayed there for six years.
She returned home during the Covid pandemic before moving to the Republic. She is now one of just three Northern Ireland-born politicians in the Oireachtas.
Emer Currie is the Fine Gael TD for Dublin West, Conor Murphy is a Sinn Fein member of the Seanad along with Stephenson who sits as a Social Democrat representative.
She stood in last year's Dail election in Carlow-Kilkenny where she now lives. She was eliminated on the 11th count, and hopes to get across the line next time round.
Stephenson (33) grew up on the Lisburn Road in south Belfast. Her father Jonathan was from a family of English diplomats.
His grandfather, Sir Hugh Stephenson, was one of the last heads of the Indian civil service in Bengal. His father, another Sir Hugh, also served in India before becoming ambassador to South Africa.
Jonathan Stephenson charted a very different course. He went to Queen's University to study history and politics in the mid-70s. In Belfast, he met and married Marga Foley from Wexford who was working as a conservator in the Ulster Museum.
“I get my politics from my parents who were both left wing, supported workers' rights, and believed in challenging the status quo,” says Patricia Stephenson.
Bombed
“My father was a trade unionist who joined the SDLP. He was a Belfast councillor for four years and later chairperson of the party.
“Our home was bombed by loyalists in 1993. A device was thrown through the window. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. Dad was given a legally-held firearm but he wouldn't countenance using it. The gun was kept locked up in a safe.”
The youngest of three children, Stephenson went to Methodist College. Two A*s and an A at A Level took her to Oxford where she studied history.
“I made friends there that I'll have for life, but it was my first experience of serious imposter syndrome. It was a challenging environment. I had dyslexia but didn't find out until quite late in my degree,” she says.
“I struggled with my work. I was like a duck constantly paddling to stay up. And my father died — at just 61 years old — when I was there and that was tough.”
Stephenson founded 'Irishcraic' in 2011 — a society to bring together Irish students at the university.
“I found a real lack of understanding about Ireland at Oxford. In my first week, I was asked if Belfast was in Scotland,” she recalls.
“People would tell me stories about awful terrorist attacks in London during the Troubles, attacks that had nothing to do with me.
“While I made a lot of new friends — who all went to state schools — I would say that Oxford isn't for everybody. It's not the be-all-and-end-all. You can do really well in lots of other places.
“The grandness of the architecture, and the scale of the colleges, can be intimidating and become barriers to success for those not previously familiar with such grandeur.” After graduation, Stephenson did a master's at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London which she loved.
Africa
She moved to Africa following that where she stayed for six years working in Uganda, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Somalia and Kenya.
“I'd been a normal student. I liked to have a good time like everybody, but I was hugely drawn to Africa,” she explains.
“I'd an aunt who had worked overseas with refugees, and maybe that's where the attraction came from. I was exposed to lots of different parts of the world from an early age. I loved travelling to new places and meeting new people.”
In Uganda, she worked as an EU diplomat and with LGBT human rights defenders. There was severe discrimination against gay people in the country, and homosexuality was later criminalised with “promoting” it punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
“I worked with people who put their lives in danger every day,” recalls Stephenson. She describes working in South Sudan, where a civil war was raging between government and opposition forces, as “very intense”.
She worked with an organisation which collaborated with the Department of Education to pay for girls to go to school. “Only a tiny number of girls went to school,” she says.
“South Sudan had one of the worst female literacy rates in the world. So a financial incentive was offered to encourage families to educate their daughters rather than just having them work in the family home or marrying them early.
“It was amazing to see the results of the project. Girls learnt basic numeracy and reading skills. They could then set up a little business — just something small like baking — because they were able to understand money. It was empowering for them. I absolutely loved it.”
Life for aid workers in South Sudan was severely restricted. “It was heavily militarised. People were being arrested and detained,” Stephenson recalls. “Travel was prohibited on certain roads. There was a curfew. If you socialised in a cafe, you had to return home by 7pm — NGOs mandated because of the security risks of staying out later.”
Stephenson also found the heat hard to bear with temperatures often exceeding 40 degrees.
She adored Uganda, “the beautiful bread basket of Africa — so green, hilly and luscious”. It was there she met her husband Justin, an engineer from Ottawa, and rescued a street dog from an animal shelter in Kampala.
“There were dozens of dogs in a cage all running around in circles, barking and being chaotic. Millie was the only one not doing that. She was standing up on her hind legs looking at me. She was perfect,” Stephenson recalls.
Life in South
She returned to Northern Ireland with Justin and Millie during the pandemic. “The time felt right to come home. We stayed with my mum in Belfast before moving to Dublin,” she says.
Stephenson worked for Front Line Defenders and Christian Aid in the city. However, the cost of living was so high that the couple decided to “try rural life”.
They bought a derelict parish hall in Coolcullen, near Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, which they renovated. “We've done most of it ourselves,” she says. “It's still a work in progress. I'd visited the area as a child so it felt natural coming here.”
The couple now have a second dog, a lurcher called Pepper. “We found her by the side of a road near our house in an awful state. The plan was to build her up and find her a home but we're suckers so she's still here,” Stephenson says.
After moving to the Republic, she felt the time was right to join a political party. She signed up to the Social Democrats, a left-wing party founded in 2015.
It finished fourth in last year's Dail election — ahead of the Labour Party — with 10 TDs elected. “My family background meant I felt I should join a political party — it was part of my civic role to do so,” Stephenson says.
She describes party founders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall as “impressively strong women”, and current leader Holly Cairns as “someone with whom I personally identified so much”.
She likes the “horizontal nature” of the Social Democrats. “You can influence things. You're able to fully contribute to policy discussion. Everybody, from grassroots members upwards, has access.”
Stephenson has three political heroes. “I admire John Hume for his peacebuilding,” she says. “I met Mo Mowlam as a child. She was magnificent in navigating the peace process.
“Mo gained the respect of those she worked with. Bernadette Devlin was inspirational with her broad view of civil rights and equality. It didn't just apply to Ireland, it was about international solidarity as well for her.”
Stephenson became the first ever Social Democrat elected to the Seanad in February. She plans to run again for the Dail. “I'd like to see more northern voices involved in politics here, and more northern faces in the Oireachtas,” she says.
“Most voters were interested in where I'm from. Nobody holds the Belfast accent against me! But I've come to realise how little the south knows about the north. Some of that is due to a lack of media coverage.
“There's a disconnection. A lot of people haven't crossed the border or else have only done so only for a day trip. I'd love to see more opportunities for people across the island to engage on issues at a grassroots level. We have to learn about each other and break down the idea that we're different.”
Stephenson supports Irish unity but believes that focusing on a date for a border poll “isn't very productive”. She says: “We need to spend more time examining what a united Ireland would look like in practice.
“I want to see one in my lifetime, but we must start putting in the groundwork. We're not doing the basics. Setting up an all-island citizens' assembly would be a starting point.
“We should be discussing how we'd align healthcare, policing and the economy in a new Ireland. And we should be debating the emotional stuff like flags and emblems too. Planning is needed if we're to avoid Brexit mark two.”
Stephenson would also like to see a “joint north-south strategy on tackling domestic and gender-based violence”.
She supports extending voting rights for the Irish presidency to those in Northern Ireland. She is a huge fan of Michael D Higgins. “He'll be an incredibly hard act to follow,” she says.
“I'm delighted that the Social Democrats are nominating independent TD Catherine Connolly. She's been a tireless champion for progressive politics. She'll be a fantastic candidate and I've very excited to have the opportunity to campaign for her.”
Stephenson is a firm supporter of Irish neutrality. “The government is undermining that by trying to remove the triple lock,” she says. “Neutrality has given Ireland a very important role as actors for peace internationally. We will lose that credibility if we abandon it.”
She expresses deep concern about the use of Shannon Airport by the US military and the Dublin government's “failure to inspect flights that may be facilitating Israel's genocidal war in Gaza”.
Stephenson argues that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are out of step with the public on these matters. “The Irish people are far ahead of the government on Gaza. They want to see more action.
“They want the Occupied Territories Bill passed. They want the Central Bank to end its facilitation of the sale of Israeli bonds. They want US military flights through Shannon stopped,” she says.
“We have a duty to do everything in our power to prevent genocide. Our government isn't meeting its obligations. There is a moral and legal imperative on us to do much more.”
GB News hosts admit to being clueless about ‘sectarian’ Twelfth
Conor Sheils, Irish News, July 14th, 2025
BRITISH TV hosts appeared baffled during the only remaining live coverage of the Twelfth parades – with one commentator branding the annual event “sectarian”.
The comments came during the broadcaster’s annual coverage on Saturday, which it has broadcast for the last four years since the BBC axed the live event due to low viewer numbers.
GB News hosts Charlie Peters and Nana Akua were joined by former Labour Party advisor Scarlett McGwire and UK-based journalist Candice Holdsworth in the London studio while ex-first minister Arlene Foster covered the parades from Coleraine.
Ms Foster’s knowledge of events stood in stark contrast to her colleagues in London who appeared at times bewildered by the annual display of ‘Britishness’ – with former Labour advisor Scarlett McGwire outwardly describing the event as sectarian.
“I think we have to understand that it is a sectarian celebration. While the Protestants – the majority in Northern Ireland – are very, very happy with it, actually the celebrations have been used… I mean, it used to be the marching season and there was always – there was terrible violence,” she said.
GB News hosts admit being clueless about ‘sectarian’ Twelfth
“Now, a lot of the violence in Northern Ireland, because of the peace deal, thank goodness, has gone. But it’s still sectarian. I mean, it’s remembering, you know, a battle many years ago.
Hung drawn and quartered
“I’d like to say that my great-great-great whatever grandfather, who was head of the Maguire clan, was hung, drawn and quartered by Cromwell’s people. And my dad always remembered it.
“What I’m saying is that we have to understand that while it’s a celebration – and it’s really, really important that it goes on, right? I’m not trying to ban it – it is sectarian. And many people in Northern Ireland have found July the Twelfth very frightening.”
Her comments came before the show’s host Nana Akua laughed while wearing a bright green dress, as she said she had been told she was “wearing the wrong type of green”.
“Just for anybody out there before I get stick for it, apologies for wearing the wrong kind of green. It’s my favourite colour – green, any shade – but if this is the wrong one, apologies,” she said.
Speaking about the The Troubles, she added: “I remember that, because I was around at that time – you know, I can remember when there was all the IRA and the Real IRA.
Then you had – uh, is it Gerry Adams? – and there was a voice over his voice because he wasn’t allowed to speak. It was all very, very odd.”
“ We have to understand that while it’s a celebration – and it’s really, really important that it goes on, right? I’m not trying to ban it – it is sectarian. And many people in Northern Ireland have found July the Twelfth very frightening”
Meanwhile, London-based journalist Candice Holdsworth admitted that many people in the UK have little understanding or interest in the Twelfth.
When asked if she thought people in Britain understood what the Twelfth was about, she said: “I don’t. I think that this history, to a lot of people – I mean, we just don’t know it. So many of us here on the mainland know very little about it, and I think it’s important to learn more.”
PSNI forced to return billboard memorial for republican a day after it was seized in house raid
Amy Cochrane, Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
POLICE ACCUSED OF HYPOCRISY IN LIGHT OF 'INACTION' OVER BONFIRE DISPLAYS
A billboard featuring IRA man Kevin Hannaway was unveiled yesterday — two days after it was seized by police.
Mr Hannaway died in January after a short illness.
He was one of the 11 'Hooded Men' who claimed they were tortured by the security forces during the Troubles.
The banner was seized from a house at Rodney Parade in west Belfast on Friday along with a small quantity of drugs as part of an operation targeting the New IRA.
A man (52) was arrested and later charged with possession of a class A drug and offering to supply a class C drug.
The artwork was subsequently handed back. It was unveiled at Hugo Street in west Belfast yesterday.
A number of senior dissident republicans were in attendance at the event organised by the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association.
Newry dissident Stephen Murney spoke at the event. He claimed that the seizure of the banner was “effectively a PR disaster” for the PSNI.
He said Mr Hannaway was a member of the IRA “up until the day he died”.
Mr Murney is one of three men charged earlier this year with managing a meeting in support of a proscribed organisation.
Saoradh
A statement released on Friday by Saoradh, widely believed to be the political wing of the New IRA, said the seizure of the banner of Mr Hannaway on Friday was an example of “hypocrisy” by the PSNI after it refused to assist Belfast City Council with the dismantling of a loyalist bonfire in south Belfast.
Solicitor Victoria Haddock of Phoenix Law said the banner was returned after pre-action correspondence.
She added: “There was no lawful basis for the seizure of this mural... the seizure had no lawful authority under any search warrant nor any relevance to the offences for which my client was arrested.
“The bigger question for the PSNI is how they can justify the deployment of such draconian powers without any basis, at the very same time as refusing to exercise any power whatsoever to remove offensive and criminal materials placed on bonfires.
“Such exercises only give rise to questions about discrimination to which we now intend to pursue via civil proceedings.”
Ten years ago Mr Hannaway sought to overturn a controversial 1978 judgment by the European Court of Human Rights. It had described the treatment of the Hooded Men as “inhuman and degrading”, but not torture.
One of the barristers representing them was Amal Clooney, wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney.
In 2015 Hannaway was one of five men charged at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin with assisting the IRA.
He was convicted and jailed in 2018 for three years and nine months.
Hannaway, a cousin of Gerry Adams, was a founding member of the Provisional IRA but is understood to have disagreed with Sinn Fein strategy.
His support for dissident republicanism is believed to have caused splits within the families.
Adams' mother was Anne Hannaway, whose family is steeped in the republican tradition.
The PSNI said: “Detectives from the Serious Crime Branch carried out a search at a residential property in Rodney Drive, west Belfast, on Friday, 11th July. During the search a number of items were seized.
“A billboard was removed from the property while it was established whether the possession of the item constituted any possible offence.
“Following review, the billboard was returned to the property on Saturday, 12th July.”
Gerry Adams pays tribute to women who resisted British at new film premiere
Erika Sassone, Irish Independent and Belfast Telegraph, July 14th, 2025
Gerry Adams told a documentary that the IRA "weren't right all the time”, but claims the paramilitary organisation deserves credit for resisting against "a huge force”.
The former Sinn Féin leader, who has always denied claims he was a member of the IRA, repeated his stance that he has never dissociated himself from the IRA, and "never will”.
And he praised the role played by women during the long campaign in the North.
He was speaking at the world premiere of the Trisha Ziff-directed documentary Gerry Adams: A Ballymurphy Man at the Galway Film Fleadh over the weekend.
In the documentary, Mr Adams talks about his 60 years of republican activism, his belief in the importance of resistance, and his hopes for a united Ireland. He says the Irish people are able to decide their own future.
Answering questions afterwards, Mr Adams said: "I want to see a new Ireland. I want to see the people having charge. No other generation had that.
"None of the people portrayed in that documentary up until our generation had that opportunity, or ability, or right.
"The people of the island of Ireland have the right to a referendum to say whether they want to keep the union with Britain or whether they want to end it.”
The documentary touches on all parts of Mr Adams's life and the Troubles, from memories of his grandmother to meeting his newborn son while under arrest; from the time - at 15 years old - he became politically conscious, to the first talks with the British government; from meeting Bobby Sands to the time he was shot.
In praise of nationalist women
In the documentary, Mr Adams praises the efforts of the nationalist community, in particular women, against British oppression in Northern Ireland.
Speaking afterwards, he added: "None of what has been achieved or endured could have been endured or achieved without the very active participation, even for short periods in their lives, of so many people who just wanted to make a change, who wanted to make a difference.
"Resistance or activism is a personal endeavour. I'm always amazed when I think back, particularly mothers and grandmothers and women.
"I know that women have been killed in the conflict as well. They managed to run their families, keep their home together and still be part of the uprising.
"Very few of them would think of coming and standing on a stage, making a long speech. But they knew what was right and they knew what was wrong.”
Mr Adams also admitted he "didn't really” want to do the documentary, claiming "most of the stuff that's been done about me is a hatchet job”, but said he was convinced it could work and be useful.
The documentary was filmed over the course of five years. Ms Ziff was "over the moon” as she revealed the documentary will be screened in cinemas around Ireland.
She explained the film took so long, "partly because of Covid, partly because we did it almost totally independently”.
She added: "We had a little bit of funding from Screen Ireland for development, but other than that it was really made with the support of the people that you see at those long credits and the people of Mexico.
"And I'm allowed to say that we got distribution while we've been here at the festival. I am over the moon.
"When things like that happen for a documentary, it's amazing, because it's really tough these days to make documentaries and get them out into the world.”
Ms Ziff, who lives in Mexico, said: "People feel very engaged in Mexico to this film. The University of Mexico City gave some funding to the film.”
