DUP Slams IRA Tribute

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DUP Slams IRA Tribute

February 28, 2008

By Barry McCaffrey

SINN Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have clashed in their first public dispute since going into government together over Republican plans to commemorate a former IRA leader.

The war of words erupted after the DUP objected to Sinn Fein plans to commemorate the life of former IRA leader Mairead Farrell at a ceremony at government buildings next month.

Farrell and IRA men Danny McCann and Sean Savage were shot dead by the SAS as they walked along a street in Gibraltar in March 1988.

None of the three were armed, but days later a car was found with explosives hidden inside.

The IRA unit is thought to have been planning to attack a British Army band parade.

Sinn Fein MLA Jennifer McCann had organized an event at Stormont on International Women’s Day to commemorate the life of her close friend.

However, the DUP opposed the event and threatened to organize an opposing event to commemorate the SAS role in Northern Ireland.

The dispute escalated further with the intervention of DUP leader Ian Paisley.

“The DUP will oppose any commemoration for murderers in Stormont and will use all of our influence to prevent this event from taking place,” he said. “I am confident that we are bringing closure to this issue.”

However, Jennifer McCann defended her right to commemorate the memory of Farrell at government buildings.

“Stormont is a shared space and that’s the way it has to be seen,” she said.

“The real thing about this and the honest thing about this is that Unionists are saying that we have the audacity to pay tribute to our dead and they’re trying to tell us when and where we can do it. In effect they’re creating a hierarchy of victims.”

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