‘I hope the bullet stops here’ says heartbroken sister of Lyra
Lyra and Nichola
THE sister of murdered journalist Lyra Mckee said her killers also took her mother’s life the day they shot the young reporter.
The documentary Lyra looks at the life and tragic death of the 29-year-old who was shot dead by dissident Irish Republicans in April, 2019.
Lyra had been observing a riot in the Creggan estate when a bullet hit her in the head.
Her heartbroken sister Nichola Corner said her mother Joan Lawrie died of a broken heart just months after Lyra was killed.
She said: “They killed my mum the day they killed my Lyra. She just missed Lyra so much.
FIGHTING
“I said to mummy when she was passing away, ‘Make sure to tell Lyra we won’t ever stop fighting for her. When she comes for you, just go, just go with her. We’ll be okay.’
“I hope that bullet stops here. I hope it does not travel any further because we have all been through enough.”
And she recalled hearing the news of the tragedy with her mother in the car: : “We were just watching the TV and my phone rang. ‘We were down at a riot, Lyra’s been hit in the head and she’s been taken to hospital’.
“My phone went again and this time it was a police officer. I said ‘Can you tell me something, Is my sister still alive?’ and he said ‘I’m really sorry to have to tell you this, but your sister has passed away,’ and my heart just broke there and then.
“And my mummys still sitting in the car. My wee mummy, who adored every cell in that child’s body.”
Two men, Peter Cavanagh, 35, and Jordan Devine, 22, both from Derry, are to stand trial for the murder of Lyra.
Lyra, by award winning director Alison Millar, is on TG4 on Wednesday at 9.30pm.