Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
O’DOWD: MASSACRE AT KINGSMILL SHAMEFUL
STORMONT CRISIS Bradley and Coveney hopeful after first talks MEETING MLA admits attack was ‘wrong’ He says families deserve justice
They did not in any way advance the cause of Irish unity JOHN O’DOWD SPEAKING ON THE VIEW
THE Kingsmill massacre was a sectarian attack which shamed those responsible, a leading republican has said.
Sinn Fein’s John O’dowd spoke out against the murder of 10 Protestant workmen in South Armagh.
His hard-hitting words have been seen by many as a step further than previous condemnation of the 1976 slaughter.
The Upper Bann MLA said he too was “shamed” by the killings and told the BBC the victims’ families “deserve access to justice”.
Speaking on The View, he added: “I remember Kingsmill very, very well and I tell you why I remember it, because I’d two cousins and an uncle shot dead the night before and I’d another uncle left for dead.
“What happened at Kingsmill was wrong, it was sectarian and regardless of who carried it out, whether it was the IRA or others, or people acting from the IRA, it was wrong and we have condemned it in the past. And I add my condemnation to it tonight.
“It’s wrong when it happened, it’s wrong today.”
Asked if he accepted it was a purely sectarian murder, Mr O’dowd said: “Yes. It is shameful what happened on the roadside in South Armagh that night. Absolutely shameful.
“As a republican, I am shamed by it. Those who carried it out should be shamed by it.
“I am one of many republican leaders who have said what happened at Kingsmill was wrong.
“Those who carried it out did not in any way advance the cause of Irish unity.
“This is why I say I’m not surprised the Kingsmill families are so annoyed SIMON Coveney and Karen Bradley will meet again next week in the hope of making progress on the power-sharing deadlock.
The Republic’s foreign minister flew into London from a visit to the Middle East to meet the newly appointed Secretary of State.
He said the talks had been “very good” and he expected they were “going to work very well together”.
Warning there remained “significant challenges, the Tanaiste added: “Everybody knows there are time constraints in terms of the work we need to do but also I think everybody agrees we want devolved government again in Northern Ireland.
“I think the unfortunate things that have happened in relation to Kingsmill this week and the absolutely understandable upset of families because of a really, really stupid and insensitive occurrence is a reminder of just how important legacy and reconciliation is.”
Mrs Bradley said: “We have a shared objective – restoring devolved government to Northern Ireland as soon as possible.”
Noting she has now had discussions with all the main parties at Stormont and Mr Coveney, she added: “I look forward to reflecting on those conversations over the weekend to decide the way forward.” and will not believe what Sinn Fein have said, because republicans have hurt them and harmed them.
“But there is a responsibility, a broader responsibility, on unionist politicians, on republican politicians, to move this society forward.
“There are many families out there who have not seen the perpetrators who killed their loved ones before the courts.
“All those families deserve justice and the Kingsmill families deserve access to justice.”
The IRA, despite denials, have always been suspected of being behind the attack in which the one Catholic on board was spared by the gunmen.
Mr O’dowd was speaking in the wake of the furore which followed his party’s MP Barry Mcelduff being videoed with a Kingsmill loaf on his head on the 42nd anniversary of the attack.
Mr O’dowd said people had a right to be angry about the incident.
He added: “Barry did not set out to cause hurt or pain, but the fact of the matter is he did.”