Legacy prosecutions: See unpublished pre-election survey findings below
Findings from a Northern Ireland General Election Survey conducted by Liverpool University last year summer found significant differences in voters’ attitudes to the question of whether Legacy prosecutions for actions committed in the Troubles should continue or end.
Catholics and those identifying as Irish showed the greatest resistance to ending prosecutions at 57.3 per cent, while the figure dropped to 39.5 per cent among those identifying as Protestant and 35.9 per cent among those who identify as having no faith.
Sixty per cent of Sinn Fein and SDLP voters were most opposed to ending prosecutions, whereas only 44.3 per cent of DUP voters and 33.3 per cent of UUP voters shared this view.
The greatest percentage of voters and potential voters who believed it was time to drop Troubles prosecutions was in the 15 to 18 age cohort at 41 per cent, with 49 per cent of third level students agreeing that prosecutions should end. The survey concludes that ‘distance decay’ from the conflict and ‘massive declines in Troubles and sectarian related violence and crimes’ are the main reasons.
‘Moreover, the growth in a new economy and better access to well-paid employment is breaking down traditional community commitments.
‘If this trend continues we could be looking at something close to a majority in favour of ending prosecutions within 10 years.
‘What is interesting here is that no political party or group is leading a campaign to end prosecutions. Moreover, the last governments controversial Legacy Act does not seem to have brought younger people to the same place as the generation that lived and experienced the period 1968-1998.’
Why no significant debate on alternatives to the Courts?
The survey also asks why, given that a majority of the electorate is either opposed to continued prosecutions or shows no interest in the issue, there is no significant engagement by them in the debate?
One obvious reason is that people not directly affected by the Troubles in terms of death or injury within their family may feel inhibited in expressing views they know may well be found hurtful or offensive by those who have suffered direct loss or injury.
However everyone living in Northern Ireland is affected by the wider political, social and economic effects that the Legacy of the conflict continues to have on society.
The Survey concludes with the following questions.
Although, those supporting the ending of prosecutions, are a minority, they are a sizeable one. Furthermore, those wishing to end prosecutions have no organisational structure or significant form of public engagement yet, as noted they remain a significant minority. This leaves open several questions;
• Why has there been no research with those favouring the ending of prosecutions?
• Why do so many have no opinion regarding future prosecutions?
• Why does a significant minority favour the ending of prosecutions?
• What is the motivation for ending prosecutions?
• When is this perspective to be given space within public debates and policy-making?
• How do we affect reconciliation and debate Legacy when those who do not favour prosecutions are not involved in public discourse over legacy?
• Why do the youngest age cohort have a plurality favouring the end of prosecutions? Again, what motivates this group to feel as it does?
Please find below details of the survey supplied to us by The Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool, which we gratefully acknowledge.
Table 55: It is right to end prosecutions for actions during the Troubles
Strongly Agree Agree Neither agree/disgree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 18.31 20.19 17.37 32.86 11.27
Sinn Féin (SF) 4.87 21.10 17.86 30.84 25.32
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) 15.75 29.13 21.26 22.05 11.81
Social Democratic and
Labour Party (SDLP) 4.24 15.25 22.03 29.66 28.81
Alliance 6.54 21.57 22.22 33.99 15.69
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) 29.09 20.00 10.91 14.55 25.45
Michelle O’Neill says Govt challenge Sean Brown ruling ‘inhumane’
Liam Tunney, Belfast Telegraph, May 1st, 2025
A UK Government decision to challenge a court ruling that their refusal to hold a public inquiry into the murder of a GAA official in 1997 was unlawful is “cruel and inhumane”, the First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, has said.
NI Secretary Hilary Benn has sought leave for a Supreme Court appeal over the Sean Brown case.
Mr Benn has not confirmed he ultimately intends to take the case to the Supreme Court, but has applied for “protective leave” to appeal to the UK's highest court if he believes that course of action to be “necessary”.
Sean Brown (61) was shot dead by members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force as he closed up the gates of Wolfe Tones GAC Bellaghy on May 12, 1997.
Mr Brown was the club chairperson at the time of his murder.
A previous court hearing revealed intelligence material had linked state agents to the killing.
It had also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.
Belfast's Court of Appeal had previously given Mr Benn four weeks to consider the ruling, but he has said he will be seeking leave to appeal the judgment in the Supreme Court, the UK's highest court.
Speaking about the decision, Ms O'Neill said: “At the Court of Appeal, Lady Chief Justice Keegan was unequivocal in her remarks, saying that 'the decision to refuse a public inquiry cannot stand and is unlawful and in breach of Article 2 obligations'.
“It is an affront to the basic principles of truth and justice that Keir Starmer's government is threatening to once again drag Bridie Brown and her family back to court.
‘Do the right thing’
“As Bridie Brown previously said, five High Court judges have instructed the British Government to do the right thing, yet it seems hellbent on denying her family a public inquiry.
“This cruel and inhumane act is just the latest example of British Government political cynicism — blocking the right of families to access truth and justice.
“This will only add further insult to the Brown family who, unlike the British Government, have led with courage and dignity in their fight for answers into Sean Brown's murder.”
In a statement yesterday, the Secretary of State said: “The murder of Sean Brown nearly 28 years ago was brutal and despicable.
“It has caused deep pain and anguish to Mrs Brown, her family, and many in the wider community. As I have said many times, I am committed to ensuring that there is a full, thorough and independent Article 2-compliant investigation into the murder of Sean Brown.
“I am taking steps to repeal and replace the previous government's Legacy Act to ensure that we have a legacy system that is capable of delivering for all families who lost loved ones during the Troubles.
“It is clear that the detailed judgment requires a full and considered response. I have therefore today asked the Court of Appeal for more time to consider it and the terms of the declaration. This will allow me to receive comprehensive advice that responds in full to the issues the court has identified.
“Also, given the approaching deadline from the court for requesting leave to appeal, I have today asked the court for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, in case that should ultimately be necessary.
“These steps will not delay the Government's determination to take the necessary steps to ensure that the system for dealing with legacy is human rights compliant.”
An inquest into Mr Brown's death was halted last year. Coroner Mr Justice Kinney expressed concern that his ability to examine the case had been “compromised” by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds.
Mr Kinney called on the Government to establish a public inquiry, a call that was rejected by Mr Benn, who argued the case could be dealt with by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
Mr Brown's widow challenged Mr Benn's decision not to order a public inquiry and High Court judge Mr Justice Humphreys found in her favour in December and ordered the Government to establish one.
The Government then appealed against that decision to the Court of Appeal, which led to the judgment in March 2025 that the refusal was unlawful.
From Kingsmill to Sean Brown, the full truth remains hidden
Pro Fide et Patria, Irish News, May 1st, 2025
EVEN in the long darkness of the Troubles, sectarianism was rarely as chilling or as undisguised as it was on a January 1976 evening by a quiet Co Armagh roadside.
Ten Protestant men were killed in the Kingsmill massacre that dreadful night, executed by IRA gunmen who had posed as British soldiers in order to stop their minibus. The lone Catholic in the vehicle was ordered to flee.
An eleventh Protestant, Alan Black, managed to survive his injuries, despite being shot 18 times. Mr Black’s dogged, righteous determination to seek justice for his friends over many decades has been both humbling and inspirational.
The depravity meted out at Kingsmill echoes into the present. As with far too many Troubles killings, no-one has ever been convicted.
“ Karen Armstrong’s frustration has become a refrain for too many: ‘Why did they not make more of an effort to find out who was responsible for these murders?’
Now the Police Ombudsman has confirmed that there were a litany of failings in the 1976 investigation. Only a dozen of more than 60 suspects identified were ever questioned, for example, and key witnesses – including an off-duty police officer visiting his parents in the area at the time – were not interviewed. Records linked to the case could not be located.
Ombudsman Marie Anderson acknowledges the “intense pressure and strain” faced by the RUC in 1976.
It was simply not resourced to conduct investigations in the deadly chaos of the period.
Nonetheless, Mr Black, along with relatives of John McConville, had “legitimate and justified” complaints, said Ms Anderson.
Mr Black said he felt “totally vindicated”; he had respect for police officers who served at the time but said that the Kingsmill investigation was “something like the Keystone Cops”.
Karen Armstrong, a sister of Mr McConville, expressed frustration of the sort that has sadly become a refrain for too many: “Why did they not even make more of an effort to find out who was responsible for these murders?”
That speaks, loudly and urgently, to the need for structures to deal with the legacy of the Troubles in a way that fully commands the support of victims and their families.
In just the past few weeks we’ve had examples from different quarters of why this must happen, whether from a fresh appeal relating to Seamus Maguire, one of those Disappeared by the IRA, or Chief Constable Jon Boutcher’s intervention on the costly and “attritional” nature of the legacy ‘system’.
The British government’s latest shameful attempt to delay a public inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown, this time by bringing a Supreme Court challenge, only underscores the need for an agreed, properly-resourced way of dealing with the past.
Appeal for calm as sectarian attacks continue
Allan Preston, Irish News, May 1st, 2025
SDLP MLA Mark Durkan has called for an urgent de-escalation” of tensions in Derry
A STRING of sectarian attacks in Derry has been condemned with reports of arranged fights and vandalism causing “real hurt” to community relations.
Police have arrested and bailed five people over sectarian hate crimes and disorder they believe are linked since Saturday, including an attack on three young people, an attack on a bus and criminal damage to a mural.
The latest incidents being investigated include a paint bomb attack on Walker’s Plinth on the city’s historic walls on Tuesday evening and an assault against a man in the Bonds Hill area of the Waterside on Monday – for which a man in his twenties was arrested and bailed.
On Saturday around 6.30pm, it was reported that three male youths in the Nelson Drive area were chased by at least 10 other youths, with some reported to have shouted sectarian comments.
Three of the youths hid in the back garden of a property in Caw Close, where they were followed by their attackers before getting away.
Arranged fight
On Sunday afternoon, police had responded to a report of an arranged fight in the Waterside.
A large group of mainly youths, including some wearing masks, arrived in the Irish Street area.
By around 5pm, bricks, bottles and fireworks were thrown at other youths and police.
A bus and vehicle travelling through the area were also damaged with bricks, leaving the bus driver and passengers badly shaken.
Two 18-year-old men were arrested on Monday on suspicion of criminal damage to a vehicle before being released on bail.
On Tuesday, two teenage males were arrested on suspicion of affray before being released on bail.
The SDLP’s Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan has called for an “urgent de-escalation” of tensions.
“We have seen our young people set upon by gangs and vandalism that has caused real hurt in local communities,” he said.
“This is not what our city is about and it must end before a life is lost due to this violence.”
Historic monument targeted as 'sectarian hate crimes' continue in Derry
JESSICA RICE, Belfast Telegraph, May 1st, 2025
The remains of an historic monument have been splattered with paint in what police have described as a “sectarian hate crime”.
The criminal damage was caused to Walker's plinth on Derry's Walls on Tuesday evening.
A statue of the city's governor during the Siege of Derry, George Walker, stood on the plinth for almost 150 years before being blown up by the IRA in 1973.
The paint-bombing follows a spate of sectarian incidents in Derry over the weekend.
The most serious involved an attack on two boys by a gang of youths, video footage of which was widely shared online.
There were also clashes between gangs of youths in the Top of the Town area on Sunday night.
And a police vehicle carrying two dogs was damaged after missiles were thrown by young people at Irish Street in the city.
PSNI Chief Inspector Luke Moyne said: “At this stage, enquiries into each of these incidents are ongoing.”
DUP MLAs present as band plays anti-Catholic anthems
Footage emerges from same day Pope Francis died
Connla Young, Irish News, May 1st, 2025
FOOTAGE has emerged of three senior DUP members looking on as a loyalist band played anti-Catholic anthems during an Apprentice Boys parade on the same day Pope Francis died.
Stormont education minister Paul Givan, Edwin Poots, who is the assembly speaker, and MLA Jonathan Buckley were present when a band blasted out the offensive No Pope of Rome and the Billy Boys tunes.
The footage was captured close to Lisburn Orange Hall on Easter Monday – hours after Pope Francis died in Rome.
Onlookers can be heard singing the sectarian lyrics of both songs as a loyalist band member performs cartwheels along a street lined with spectators.
There was controversy last week after it emerged DUP representatives were in attendance at the annual Apprentice Boys parade during which a different band played No Pope of Rome.
The DUP later condemned what they termed the “distasteful actions” of those involved.
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart, who was also present in Lisburn, and Mr Givan later described the atmosphere in the city as “first class”, while Mr Poots, a former Stormont minister, wrote of “super crowds and a great atmosphere”.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City councillor James Tinsley, who works for Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, also attended.
No Pope
The No Pope of Rome song, which mocks the Catholic faith, is regularly played at unionist gatherings.
A post on Paul Givan’s Facebook page shows the Stormont minister with party colleagues Jonathan Buckley and Edwin Poots in Lisburn
It includes the words “No, no Pope of Rome, no chapels to sadden my eyes, no nuns and no priests, no Rosary beads, every day is the Twelfth of July”.
It also includes the lines “oh give me a home where there’s no Pope of Rome, where there’s nothing but Protestants stay, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and flute bands play The Sash every day”.
Another loyalist favourite, the Billy Boys, which includes the line “we’re up to our knees in Fenian blood’, was also played close to the Orange hall.
The song is historically linked to Glasgow-based loyalist Billy Fullerton, who went on to join Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists and established a branch of the Ku Klux Klan in his native city.
There is no suggestion any of the DUP elected representatives took part in the sectarian singing.
Lagan Valley Alliance MLA David Honeyford said the “DUP leadership needs to urgently look into the attendance of senior representatives at this parade”, adding that the event was “marred by sectarian songs being played in the wake of the death of Pope Francis”.
“The footage compounds the hurt and pain already caused by those deeply offensive actions,” he said.
“Many people came out in the wake of this parade to rightly condemn the scenes but we need to also hear from the DUP MLAs – Edwin Poots, Jonathan Buckley and Paul Givan – pictured standing there while ‘No Pope in Rome’ and the ‘Billy Boys’ were played.
“This parade took place over a week ago, giving them ample time to clarify their attendance and condemn the songs, and yet there has been silence from them on it.”
Mr Honeyford said the actions of those responsible have a wider impact.
“It may only be a minority of people playing these tunes but those actions can give everyone there – including the DUP representatives – a bad name as they listen on to songs based around such blatant hate,” he said.
“As DUP leader, Gavin Robinson has a duty to investigate this situation and his party’s actions.”
The footage emerged days after Mr Robinson criticised republican rap group Kneecap over allegations they called for the death of Tory MPs during a concert in 2023.
Police in England are also investigating claims members of the band shouted “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a gig last year.
Mr Robinson said on X that “promoting sectarianism, glorifying violence and spreading division under the guise of ‘art’ is still hate.
“Kneecap need to be investigated for their hate crimes.
“If anyone else did this, they’d be in a courtroom, not a stage.”
The DUP was asked if their elected representatives condemn the playing of the ‘No Pope of Rome’ and ‘Billy Boys’ tunes and if they or Gavin Robinson believe the playing of such music is a hate crime.
In response, a spokesperson reissued the party’s statement made last week saying the Apprentice Boys “should be commended for their parade in Lisburn on Easter Monday”, adding: “The distasteful actions by a few should not taint the entire event nor everyone there. We urge people to be respectful of their neighbour’s grief.”
The PSNI was also asked if it is treating the matter as a hate crime or hate incident.
“Following the review of a video circulating online in relation to a parade which took place in Lisburn on 21st April, no offences have been identified,” a police spokesman said.
“At this time, police have not received any reports in relation to a parade which took place in Lisburn on 21st April.”
Former MRF members unfit for trial, court told
Alan Erwin, Irish News, May 1st, 2024
THREE former British soldiers charged over shootings in Belfast more than 50 years ago have been medically assessed as unfit to be returned for trial, a court has heard.
Lawyers for a fourth ex-army member facing prosecution also confirmed they are set to challenge the admissibility of historic statements which form part of the case against him.
One of the accused, referred to as Soldier F, has been charged with the murder of Patrick McVeigh at the height of the Troubles.
He is further charged with the attempted murder of four other people during the same incident on May 13, 1972.
Three of his former colleagues, identified only as Soldiers B, C and D, are also jointly charged with attempting to murder another two men in a separate incident a day earlier.
The defendants were part of an undercover army unit known as the Military Reaction Force (MRF), which operated in Belfast at the time.
Members of the MRF used unmarked cars to patrol parts of the city before the outfit was disbanded the following year.
Mr McVeigh, a father-of-six, was shot at the junction of Finaghy Road North and Riverdale Park South.
He had reportedly stopped to speak to those manning a civilian checkpoint when the gunfire began.
Four other men were shot and wounded in the incident.
The previous day’s shooting occurred at Slievegallion Drive in west Belfast.
Decisions were taken to charge the former soldiers after the Public Prosecution Service examined evidence gathered in a police investigation.
None of the defendants attended Belfast Magistrates’ Court yesterday as further details of legal attempts to halt the cases against them were disclosed.
Medical Report
District Judge Steven Keown was informed that a medical report prepared on behalf of Soldiers C, D and F has assessed them as unfit to take part in a preliminary enquiry to have them returned for trial.
Counsel representing the prosecution indicated that it will now seek its own report on the three defendants’ capacity to answer statutory questions as part of the process.
Soldier B’s legal representatives have not made an application on medical grounds at this stage.
His barrister, Mark Mulholland KC, confirmed: “From my client’s point of view he is fit…but there are clear admissibility issues.”
That challenge is understood to relate to other military statements which form part of the prosecution case.
Mr Keown suggested that a voluntary bill of indictment could be used to bring the charges to the Crown Court without first going through the preliminary magistrates’ court process.
Further challenges could then be mounted by the defence at that stage.
Adjourning the cases for six weeks, the judge said: “If, for argument’s sake, the prosecution accepts any of these defendants are not fit, then we are wasting a certain amount of time in this court.”
Bridie Brown’s determined to press ahead withe Supreme Court case
Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, May 1st, 2025
THE 87-year-old widow of murdered GAA official Sean Brown has said she is “terrified” by the “secrets” the British government is hiding after Secretary of State Hilary Benn sought leave to take her husband’s case to the Supreme Court in London.
Mr Brown was attacked and beaten as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAC, in Co Derry, and later shot dead near Randalstown, Co Antrim, in May 1997.
It emerged during an abandoned inquest last year, which was overseen by a High Court judge, that more than 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.
Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal ruled the British government’s refusal to hold a public inquiry into his murder is “unlawful”.
The court also found it breaches Article Two obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights – which protect the right to life.
The court has given Mr Benn four weeks to “reflect upon the judgment”.
The case was due before the court again tomorrow.
The British government launched an appeal after a High Court judge ordered a public inquiry into the killing following a case taken by Mr Brown’s widow Bridie.
Benn seeks more time
In a letter to the pensioner’s solicitor yesterday, Mr Benn said he had asked the Court of Appeal “for more time to allow” him to provide “a full considered response to the judgment”. He also confirmed he has “sought leave to appeal to the Supreme Court”. Speaking after the Court of Appeal appearance earlier this month, Mrs Brown delivered a straight message and impassioned plea to Mr Benn.
‘I am terrified what secrets the British government are hiding’
“Mr Benn, five judges have told you what to do,” she said.
“Do the right thing and please don’t have me going to London.”
Despite public and political pressure, the British government has now stated its intention to snub the elderly widow.
“I pleaded directly with Hilary Benn not to be appealing Sean’s case to the Supreme Court in London, that he should do what the courts have told him to do,” she said.
“He has refused my plea. I’m not surprised but I am bitterly disappointed.”
Mrs Brown said she and her family are determined to fight on for the truth.
“Myself and my children will make sure that Sean’s case is made in London,” she said.
“I am still bewildered at how a government minister can refuse to abide by the directions of a court. That’s three different courts now, five High Court judges including the lady chief justice herself. The taoiseach, the tánaiste and the chief constable all support a public inquiry.”
Serving soldier
In addition to the involvement of state agents, it emerged during last year’s abandoned inquest that a suspect in the murder was believed to be a serving member of the Royal Irish Regiment, while another held a personal protection weapon and was regularly visited by a police officer at his home.
It is also known that an RUC surveillance operation on Mark ‘Swinger’ Fulton, a notorious Mid Ulster LVF member, was halted the night before the killing and picked up again the following morning.
MI5 has claimed it has “no record of any intelligence” relating to the killing despite launching a surveillance operation on senior loyalists a year before.
Mrs Brown believes the British government is trying to conceal information.
“I am now terrified as to what secrets the British government are hiding. It seems we just don’t count.”
Mrs Brown’s solicitor Niall Murphy, of KRW Law, said he was “disgusted” by Northern Ireland Office attempts to “spin this appalling decision”.
Bridie Brown (85) has vowed to fight for justice for her husband Sean (left) who was murdered in 1997
Mr Murphy accused Mr Benn of disclosing the contents of his “private correspondence” to Mrs Brown to sections of the media just over 90 minutes after it was emailed to him, branding the move a “disgrace”.
“This is another delaying tactic, wholly in line and consistent with 28 years of delay to date,” he added.
“Our judiciary could not have been clearer. Three tiers of our courts have declared the decision not to convene a Article Two compliant mechanism as unlawful.
“So, do we live in a jurisdiction where the rule of law is to be respected or do we live in a jurisdiction where the government would thumb its nose at decisions of the court?”
The inquest into Mr Brown’s death was halted before the former Tory government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, which ended all inquests and civil cases, came into operation on May 1 last year.
Responsibility for investigating Troubles cases has since transferred to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
It is believed by many to be part of British government attempts to protect state participants from accountability.
Government urged to preserve files into Troubles killing of schoolgirl by soldier
MCGAVIGAN FAMILY CONTINUE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS OVER DEATH OF TEENAGER IN 1971
Allison Morris, Belfast Telegraph, May 1st, 2025
The Government has been urged to preserve any files that could shed light on the death of a schoolgirl more than 50 years ago.
Annette McGavigan (14) was shot dead by a member of the Royal Green Jackets during rioting in the Bogside in Derry in September 1971.
No one has ever been convicted in relation to her death.
In 2015, fresh evidence including eyewitness accounts, pathology and ballistic evidence was submitted by the PSNI to the Attorney General and the Public Prosecution Service.
While the teenager's parents are no longer alive, her siblings have appealed to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood asking her to extend a preservation order previously issued under the Conservative Government in 2014.
It is estimated there are around 50,000 records comprising operations briefs and summaries, log sheets, patrol and incident reports from Operation Banner — the Army's operation in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
The family now want to ensure that all Army documents are retained for the purposes of legacy inquests, civil actions and other legal proceedings.
Martin McGavigan, Annette's brother, said: “At the very least the Government must preserve the MoD and other state records, not just for our family but for all families seeking justice for their loved ones.”
Harte Coyle Collins Solicitors has written to the Government asking for the extension of the preservation order.
Last April, the Attorney General granted a fresh inquest into Annette's death — just 24 hours before the controversial Legacy Act took effect, which ended Troubles-era inquests.
While the Labour Government has committed to honouring any inquest directed before the cut-off date, the McGavigan family are waiting for answers.
22 outstanding inquests and 40 deaths
There are 22 outstanding inquests relating to 40 deaths in NI, with some other previously unallocated legacy inquests also due to be honoured.
Patricia Coyle, the family solicitor, said: “My clients still await a review of the negative decision from the PPS regarding the prosecution of military personnel for the murder of their sister.
“They seek the preservation of all relevant state documents to ensure that these remain available for all legal proceedings going forward including the fresh inquest which was directed the day before the deadline imposed by the Legacy Act.”
She added: “The preservation of these records is of paramount importance for all families who seek access to information and the truth about the killing of their loved ones.”
Mr McGavigan added: “We have campaigned for 54 years for the truth about the circumstances of Annette's killing. Is the Government waiting for the soldier responsible to die or for family members to die before that happens?
“At the very least the Government must preserve the MoD and other state records, not just for our family but for all families seeking justice for their loved ones.”
Majority believe executive is not doing enough to tackle child poverty says poll
Mark Robinson, Irish News, May 1st, 2025
MORE than one-in-two people believe that the executive is not doing enough to tackle child poverty according to a new poll released by a children’s charity.
Commissioned by Save the Children NI and produced by LucidTalk, the latest survey is said to provide an “up-to-date picture of public attitudes on child poverty”.
It revealed that three-quarters (76%) of people in the north were concerned about the number of children in poverty, while 57% said the executive was not taking enough action to tackle the problem.
Four-in-five (84%) said they were concerned about the long-term impact poverty could have on children’s lives and a similar amount believe the high cost-of-living is the main reason why children are living in poverty.
Additionally, over half (52%) of those surveyed said they knew children who were growing up in poverty.
Save the Children NI spokesperson Peter Bryson said that the rise in child poverty over the last decade had been “alarming” and that the data proved most people “care and want to see the government act” on the issue.
“We, with colleagues across the sector, have long been calling for an ambitious and funded costed anti-poverty strategy,” he said.
“It has yet to appear, and our frustrations grow by the day for the families who live daily with the limiting realities of poverty.
“The 100,000 young lives being impacted by poverty right now deserve so much more. What will it take before decisive action is taken and the lived experiences of children in poverty are prioritised without excuse, without delay?”
The poll was conducted between March and April this year and used LucidTalk’s demographically-balanced online opinion panel of over 16,000 people across the north – almost 1,500 full responses were received.
Claims of ‘torture’ brings criminal justice system ‘into disrepute’
By Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, May 1st, 2025
LAURENCE O’NEILL SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN 1972 FIOR POSSESSION OF AMMUNITION AND EXPLOSIVES
Misconduct by investigators in the case of a Co Antrim man convicted of possessing explosives in the 1970s “was so egregious” that his prosecution brings the criminal justice system “into disrepute”, a review body has found.
Earlier this week the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) revealed that it had sent the 1972 case of a Patrick O’Neill to the Court of Appeal after an investigation.
The Irish News has since established that the case relates to well-known north Antrim republican Laurence O’Neill.
He was convicted in 1972 and sentenced to 15 years behind bars for possessing ammunition with intent and possessing explosives with intent to endanger life.
He served 12 years in jail.
The CCRC now says the 81-year-old may have been subjected to “torture or inhuman and degrading treatment”.
A year before his conviction he was approached by two members of the Scots Guards while sitting in a car outside an address in Belfast.
At the time he said he was waiting on someone in the property, who denied knowing him.
His car was then searched and 700 rounds of ammunition were said to have been found in a concealed compartment on the driver’s side.
The next day his family farm was searched and a quantity of arms found.
After being brought to Palace Barracks in Holywood, Co Down, he was interrogated on six different occasions without a solicitor present.
He was later medically examined, and several injuries were not noted.
A police detective later claimed they had spoken to Mr O’Neill and that he had admitted being responsible for the ammunition but refused to make a written statement.
In 2016 a breakthrough discovery was made when Pat Finucane Centre director Paul O’Connor found documents at the Public Records Office at Kew in London relating to a civil claim linked to the case.
These documents later formed the basis of an application to the CCRC, which was brought forward by lawyer Patricia Coyle, of Harte, Coyle and Collilns Solicitors.
In a ‘Statement of Reasons’ provided by the CCRC the commission said “[there is] evidence to support Mr O’ Neill’s claim to have been subjected to abuse amounting to torture or inhuman and degrading treatment whilst in custody which led to confessions”.
The review body added that “[there is] evidence which demonstrates that senior police officers and RUC lawyers were aware that this treatment had happened and that a decision was made to concede the civil claim in part at least, to avoid exposure of these illegal actions”.
The CCRC concludes that “the misconduct by the investigating authorities was so egregious that the prosecution of Mr O’Neill undermines public confidence in the criminal justice system and brings it into disrepute”.
‘Egregious’ misconduct
Ms Coyle said the Statement of Reasons provided by the CCRC are the “most far-reaching and robust” she has ever seen from the body.
“From the documents unearthed by the CCRC it appears that when the objective evidence was scrutinised by the state in the civil action, some five years after the convictions, it led the state to close down that action to preserve the convictions,” she said.
“At that stage, my client had already been in jail for five years of a 15 year sentence.
“No proactive steps were taken in the interests of justice to review or reconsider the flawed convictions.”
Ms Coyle said Mr O’Neill’s case has similarities with that of the Hooded Men - a group of 14 Catholic men who say they were subjected to state-sanctioned torture when they were interned in 1971.
“The themes of his interrogations follow similar interrogations carried out earlier in 1971 in the Hooded Men clearly characterised (today) as torture,” she said.
“The question arises as to the full extent of the executive misconduct in all these cases.
“My client looks forward to the Court of Appeal reviewing the safety of these convictions.”
Mr O’Connor said anyone who knows Mr O’Neill will know what he was subjected to has had “a profound and lasting impact on his health and well-being”.
“Once again we see that so called “legacy” issues are deeply pertinent to the present,” he added.
DUP calls for council meeting to address 'serious concerns' over Kneecap's Belfast concert
James McANaney, Belfast Telegraph, May 1st, 2025
BAND IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AT VITAL, WHICH IS HELD ON LOCAL AUTHORITY'S PLAYING FIELDS
The DUP has requested a special meeting of Belfast City Council be called to condemn remarks attributed to a west Belfast rap group.
The party says it “has serious concerns” about Kneecap being a support act at Belfast Vital this August, which is being held on property owned by Belfast City Council.
It comes after one of the group appeared to call for Conservative MPs to be killed and another appeared to shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” in historical gig footage.
Their performance at the Eden Project was cancelled on Tuesday and three shows in Germany were later cancelled by organisers amid calls for the band's slot at Glastonbury to be axed.
The trio was criticised after they expressed support for Palestine while performing at Coachella in the United States.
They are scheduled to support the Dublin band Fontaines DC at Vital, being held on the Boucher playing fields, land owned by Belfast City Council.
On Wednesday morning, a unionist member of Belfast City Council called for the band to be prevented from playing the event.
“Serious consideration should be given to not allow them to use Boucher Road playing fields for their events in the next few weeks,” UUP councillor Jim Rodgers said.
Reluctant to comment
The Belfast Telegraph contacted all 60 members of the council, to ask if they believed the gig should go ahead or not, and what their reasons were for their views.
No councillor responded with a statement of their own, while several wrote back to ask that their party press office be contacted.
The DUP group leader on Belfast City Council, Sarah Bunting said: “The DUP group in Belfast City Council have serious concerns around the inclusion of Kneecap as a support act at Belfast Vital.
“Elected representatives have been encouraged to increase their personal security over the past few years due to attacks and an increase in threats, so for a member of this group to stand on stage and shout “Kill your local MP” to crowds of people is completely irresponsible.
“There has also been a movement over the past few days to deflect from Kneecap's statements, including their declaration of “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah” whilst on stage.
“It is increasingly evident that the band use politically sensitive and emotionally charged issues not to promote meaningful dialogue, but as shock tactics designed to provoke outrage and gain attention.
“While individuals are entitled to personal views on the Israel-Palestine conflict, it is deeply irresponsible and morally repugnant for performers to stand on stage at music festivals and glorify terrorist organisations, including Hamas, who were responsible for the massacre of civilians, including concertgoers, on 7th of October 2023.
“This is not political expression. It is dangerous provocation that undermines the seriousness of real-world suffering.
“The DUP group at Belfast City Council have written to the Chief Executive to outline our concerns around the use of Boucher Road Playing Fields for Belfast Vital.
“We have also asked the promoters of Belfast Vital for an urgent meeting and we have submitted a notice of motion and a request for a special council meeting to condemn the divisive, sectarian and hate-filled words of Kneecap.”
Responding to calls to prevent Kneecap from playing at the Boucher playing fields, an SDLP spokesperson said: “Politicians should not be in the business of banning musicians the public want to see, but Kneecap clearly should address the very real offence they have caused and do more to recognise the responsibility that comes with the platform they have achieved.
“The genocide in Gaza has left people around the world feeling deep distress and it's important that is allowed to be expressed.
“The SDLP's views on violence against civilians and elected representatives are clear and always have been.”
A spokesperson for Belfast City Council had previously said Kneecap's appearance was a matter for the event promoters. “Events programming remains a matter for the promoters, MCD. Any concerns raised by an elected member will be considered by the relevant committee,” they said.
Bobby Sands statue to be unveiled in Twinbrook, Belfast, on Sunday
Conor McParland, Belfast Media, May 1st, 2025
HISTORIC: Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker at the site in Twinbrook where the Bobby Sands statue will be unveiled this SundayHISTORIC: Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker at the site in Twinbrook where the Bobby Sands statue will be unveiled this Sunday
THE first ever statue of IRA hunger striker and former MP Bobby Sands is set to be unveiled in Twinbrook this weekend.
The statue – standing at over five feet in height is a depiction of the photograph of Bobby carrying a flag during a republican parade prior to his arrest in 1976 – will be unveiled on Sunday at 3pm beside the Republican Garden on Gardenmore Road.
Bobby Sands died on May 5 1981 after 66 days on hunger-strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh. Weeks earlier he had been elected MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone.
Following a fundraising effort by the local Bobby Sands Committee, money was raised for the statue, which was designed by artist Packy Adams.
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker is encouraging the local community to come along to the unveiling on Sunday.
The main speaker will be former republican prisoner Pat Sheehan who is now an MLA for West Belfast. Pat Sheehan took part in the 1981 hunger-strike in the H-Blocks. Cara McCann will perform Amhrán na bhFiann and Sue Ramsey will read extracts from Bobby Sands' diary. Shebeen will close the unveiling with a number of songs.
"Everyone is welcome to come along. It is a community-led project for the community," said Danny.
"The statue is a fitting way to remember Bobby. It will be situated beside the Republican Garden and just yards from Bobby's house, which looks on to Brook Leisure Centre.
"Sunday promises to be a wonderful day."
Writing in the Andersonstown News this week, Danny said: "The Bobby Sands Statue is testament to where we have come from and who we are — but should be a daily reminder of where we are going.
"We should take great inspiration from our Patriot Dead, but that shouldn't be our sole guide as republicans.
"We have an absolute duty to achieve the Republic that Connolly, Farrell and Sands fought and died for.
"To ensure that the dream of a Republic is kept alive, and that our children are the ones to finally realise the huge potential which a united Ireland will bring.
"Join us on 4 May at 3pm to unveil Bobby Sands' statue to honour his legacy, and rededicate ourselves to achieving a sovereign and free Ireland, where the laughter of our children will echo across the land."
