ANGER OVER MACKEY'S ATTENDANCE AT REAL IRA FUNERAL
Anger over Mackey's attendance at Real IRA Funeral
By ADRIAN MULLAN
Relatives of those killed in the Omagh bomb and members of the District Council have criticised Councillor Francis Mackey's attendance at a Real IRA funeral in Belfast last week
A spokesman for the Omagh Support and Self Help Group said he was concerned that the councillor had aligned himself to the group which carried out the worst atrocity in the history of Northern Ireland.
"His sympathies lie with the Real IRA rather than with the people of Omagh. The Real IRA have carried out a war against the ordinary people of Ireland for the past two years," he said.
However, Mr Mackey, the Chairman of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, was defiant this week when he asserted that his attendance at the funeral of Joseph O'Connor, did not mean that his party and the Real IRA were inextricably linked.
In the face of political condemnation, Mr Mackey said that his presence represented the fact that there had been an ideological similarity between his beliefs and those of the deceased.
"Here was a man whose family had a long tradition of republicanism murdered by the Provos. I was asked to chair the proceedings at the grave side and Marion Price was asked to do the grave side oration," he added.
Asked whether his presence at the funeral of a member of the organisation which murdered 31 people in Omagh was a matter of huge insensitivity to the relatives of the victims of the Omagh bomb, Mr Mackey added: "I wouldn't say it was highly insensitive at all. Obviously the people who choose to get into militant republicanism hold similar opinions to the 32 County Sovereignty movement; my attendance should be seen in that context."
He did say he condemned the bombing of Omagh at the time and said that, in no way, could such an act be condoned
Rejecting the view that he was out of touch with the views of most Omagh nationalists he said that he remained steadfast to the republican tradition which he had represented since the time of his election.
However, he intimated that he would not be testing his position by standing down and recontesting his council seat in a by-election.
"The 32 County movement does not contest elections. It is a group formed for a single purpose and when it was formed it was decided not to contest elections. The position I hold now is exactly the same as I held when I was elected."
He further stressed that the 32 County Sovereignty Committee was anxious that republicans should pursue an alternative peace strategy in the international political theatre, through an appeal to the UN vis-a-vis British sovereignty in the North of Ireland.
Commenting on Mackey's presence at the funeral, Cllr Johnny McLaughlin said it was a slap on the face to the bereaved.
"My stance is well known on this. I tried to have him removed from the Council. If he thinks he is representing the will of the people he should step-down and contest the seat again. He is in the Council on false pretences and he knows he hasn't a hope in hell of getting back in," he fumed.
Vice Chairman of the Council, Alliance Councillor, Anne Gormley commented "Three years ago Councillor Mackey refused to resign his seat after he declared his membership of the 32 county Sovereignty Committee. Since then he and Sinn Fein have decided to part company and it can be construed that he has no mandate for Omagh town. But that does not matter because the majority of people of Omagh are unaware that Mr Mackey still sits on the Council.
"It is a matter for his own conscience if he attends a Real IRA funeral but it leaves a nasty taste in the mouths of democratic and right thinking people."
She went on to say that he was politically insignificant, had no mandate, and was keeping a seat that could be better used by someone else.
The SDLP's Cllr Seamus Shields commented"I think it was most unwise. Up to now he would have claimed that there was no association between his group and the violence. He is on record as saying the 32 County group is a political group with no military wing, but his appearance at that event that was shrouded in paramilitary trappings, would suggest that the organisation which Cllr Mackey chairs is part of a whole paramilitary set-up."
He continued: "Given the involvement of the Real IRA in the Omagh bombing, I think for an elected representative of Omagh District Council to be seen with the people who claimed responsibility for that incident is highly inappropriate. Many people people in the Omagh District area would be greatly disturbed at seeing Cllr Mackey playing such a prominent role at a paramilitary funeral for one of the members of the Real IRA. A lot of people who would have given him the benefit of the doubt may now revise that decision in terms of his association with the organisation responsible for the bomb."
By ADRIAN MULLAN
Relatives of those killed in the Omagh bomb and members of the District Council have criticised Councillor Francis Mackey's attendance at a Real IRA funeral in Belfast last week
A spokesman for the Omagh Support and Self Help Group said he was concerned that the councillor had aligned himself to the group which carried out the worst atrocity in the history of Northern Ireland.
"His sympathies lie with the Real IRA rather than with the people of Omagh. The Real IRA have carried out a war against the ordinary people of Ireland for the past two years," he said.
However, Mr Mackey, the Chairman of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, was defiant this week when he asserted that his attendance at the funeral of Joseph O'Connor, did not mean that his party and the Real IRA were inextricably linked.
In the face of political condemnation, Mr Mackey said that his presence represented the fact that there had been an ideological similarity between his beliefs and those of the deceased.
"Here was a man whose family had a long tradition of republicanism murdered by the Provos. I was asked to chair the proceedings at the grave side and Marion Price was asked to do the grave side oration," he added.
Asked whether his presence at the funeral of a member of the organisation which murdered 31 people in Omagh was a matter of huge insensitivity to the relatives of the victims of the Omagh bomb, Mr Mackey added: "I wouldn't say it was highly insensitive at all. Obviously the people who choose to get into militant republicanism hold similar opinions to the 32 County Sovereignty movement; my attendance should be seen in that context."
He did say he condemned the bombing of Omagh at the time and said that, in no way, could such an act be condoned
Rejecting the view that he was out of touch with the views of most Omagh nationalists he said that he remained steadfast to the republican tradition which he had represented since the time of his election.
However, he intimated that he would not be testing his position by standing down and recontesting his council seat in a by-election.
"The 32 County movement does not contest elections. It is a group formed for a single purpose and when it was formed it was decided not to contest elections. The position I hold now is exactly the same as I held when I was elected."
He further stressed that the 32 County Sovereignty Committee was anxious that republicans should pursue an alternative peace strategy in the international political theatre, through an appeal to the UN vis-a-vis British sovereignty in the North of Ireland.
Commenting on Mackey's presence at the funeral, Cllr Johnny McLaughlin said it was a slap on the face to the bereaved.
"My stance is well known on this. I tried to have him removed from the Council. If he thinks he is representing the will of the people he should step-down and contest the seat again. He is in the Council on false pretences and he knows he hasn't a hope in hell of getting back in," he fumed.
Vice Chairman of the Council, Alliance Councillor, Anne Gormley commented "Three years ago Councillor Mackey refused to resign his seat after he declared his membership of the 32 county Sovereignty Committee. Since then he and Sinn Fein have decided to part company and it can be construed that he has no mandate for Omagh town. But that does not matter because the majority of people of Omagh are unaware that Mr Mackey still sits on the Council.
"It is a matter for his own conscience if he attends a Real IRA funeral but it leaves a nasty taste in the mouths of democratic and right thinking people."
She went on to say that he was politically insignificant, had no mandate, and was keeping a seat that could be better used by someone else.
The SDLP's Cllr Seamus Shields commented"I think it was most unwise. Up to now he would have claimed that there was no association between his group and the violence. He is on record as saying the 32 County group is a political group with no military wing, but his appearance at that event that was shrouded in paramilitary trappings, would suggest that the organisation which Cllr Mackey chairs is part of a whole paramilitary set-up."
He continued: "Given the involvement of the Real IRA in the Omagh bombing, I think for an elected representative of Omagh District Council to be seen with the people who claimed responsibility for that incident is highly inappropriate. Many people people in the Omagh District area would be greatly disturbed at seeing Cllr Mackey playing such a prominent role at a paramilitary funeral for one of the members of the Real IRA. A lot of people who would have given him the benefit of the doubt may now revise that decision in terms of his association with the organisation responsible for the bomb."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1511
Published Date: 26-Oct-00
Related Images
