REBELS GIVEN 24 HOURS TO CALL TRUCE
Rebels given 24 hours to call truce
by Valerie Robinson and PA News
Ahern gets tough as McKevitts flee home
TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night gave the two remaining dissident republican groups a 24 hour ceasefire ultimatum.
And two leading members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement have fled their home after telling a priest they had nothing to do with Saturday's bomb attack in Omagh.
Speaking in Buncrana, Co Donegal last night the taoiseach said that since the explosion which claimed 28 lives he had asked that the groups make their position clear.
He welcomed Monday's statement from the IRSP that "armed struggle" could no longer be justified and he called on the INLA to end its campaign of violence.
And he said Republican Sinn Fein and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement should make similar calls on the military groupings associated with them.
The sovereignty movement is believed by many to be the political wing of the dissident republican group, the so-called Real IRA or Oglaigh na hEireann.
Republican Sinn Fein have always denied links with the group known as Continuity IRA.
Meanwhile, a Co Louth based priest who spoke with two leading members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement said they were angrily denying any connection to Saturday's events.
And according to Fr Desmond Campbell, Dundalk based Michael McKevitt and his partner Bernadette Sands McKevitt left their home because of fears for their lives and the safety of their children.
The 80-year-old priest revealed that the couple told him during a 15-minute phone conversation that they expected a "mob outside their home" tonight.
The Cookstown native who has served in Haggardstown, a country parish Just three miles from Dundalk., for 50 years said he "believed Mr McKevitt".
"He asserts that he had nothing to do with the terrorist attack in Omagh," Fr Campbell said.
The retired priest said Ms Sands McKevitt had been "crying too much for me really to understand what she was saying".
"She broke down and cried pretty badly," he said.
He had a lengthy conversation with her partner and father of her three children.
"They're shattered. He's not sure what he's going to do now but he's very angry. They felt their children were in danger.
"He gave me his solemn oath. He said to me 'I had nothing whatever to do with this. I am a republican...but the first I heard about this was on the radio," said Fr Campbell.
The priest believed the couple contacted him because "they felt I would have a certain amount of influence in the parish".
But he stressed that he was not taking Mr McKevitt's "part".
Fr Campbell who has relatives in Omagh said he was disgusted by Saturday's attack.
"It was a terrible thing. It was an outrage."
by Valerie Robinson and PA News
Ahern gets tough as McKevitts flee home
TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night gave the two remaining dissident republican groups a 24 hour ceasefire ultimatum.
And two leading members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement have fled their home after telling a priest they had nothing to do with Saturday's bomb attack in Omagh.
Speaking in Buncrana, Co Donegal last night the taoiseach said that since the explosion which claimed 28 lives he had asked that the groups make their position clear.
He welcomed Monday's statement from the IRSP that "armed struggle" could no longer be justified and he called on the INLA to end its campaign of violence.
And he said Republican Sinn Fein and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement should make similar calls on the military groupings associated with them.
The sovereignty movement is believed by many to be the political wing of the dissident republican group, the so-called Real IRA or Oglaigh na hEireann.
Republican Sinn Fein have always denied links with the group known as Continuity IRA.
Meanwhile, a Co Louth based priest who spoke with two leading members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement said they were angrily denying any connection to Saturday's events.
And according to Fr Desmond Campbell, Dundalk based Michael McKevitt and his partner Bernadette Sands McKevitt left their home because of fears for their lives and the safety of their children.
The 80-year-old priest revealed that the couple told him during a 15-minute phone conversation that they expected a "mob outside their home" tonight.
The Cookstown native who has served in Haggardstown, a country parish Just three miles from Dundalk., for 50 years said he "believed Mr McKevitt".
"He asserts that he had nothing to do with the terrorist attack in Omagh," Fr Campbell said.
The retired priest said Ms Sands McKevitt had been "crying too much for me really to understand what she was saying".
"She broke down and cried pretty badly," he said.
He had a lengthy conversation with her partner and father of her three children.
"They're shattered. He's not sure what he's going to do now but he's very angry. They felt their children were in danger.
"He gave me his solemn oath. He said to me 'I had nothing whatever to do with this. I am a republican...but the first I heard about this was on the radio," said Fr Campbell.
The priest believed the couple contacted him because "they felt I would have a certain amount of influence in the parish".
But he stressed that he was not taking Mr McKevitt's "part".
Fr Campbell who has relatives in Omagh said he was disgusted by Saturday's attack.
"It was a terrible thing. It was an outrage."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0061
Published Date: 19-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.