 Leaders of the Sinn Fein-IRA movement have staged rallies across Ireland in memory of a failed 1916 rebellion - and in anger that their organisation today stands accused of covering up a Belfast killing.
| Trying to repair a bit of the political damage, are we? Could it be possible that the world has changed enough so that not only Rantburg habitues have lost patience with the antics of the world's Masked Marauders of any stripe? |
At three mass rallies on Sunday in Dublin and the two major cities in Northern Ireland, Belfast and Londonderry, Sinn Fein leaders said the killers of Robert McCartney were being cowards by refusing to admit their crime. They emphasised that the failure to bring anybody to justice for McCartney's 30 January slaying outside a Belfast pub was fuelling widespread criticism of Sinn Fein, which represents most Catholics in Northern Ireland. McCartney's sisters, whose campaign has gained worldwide attention, say the IRA has intimidated witnesses while Sinn Fein has discouraged people from giving evidence to police. Detectives have charged nobody with the killing, even though the attack on McCartney began inside a pub crowded with Sinn Fein and IRA members. Sinn Fein has suspended seven people allegedly involved, while the IRA - which initially denied any involvement - says it has expelled three members. But the McCartney sisters say those supposedly expelled figures are still socialising publicly with other Sinn Fein and IRA figures in their Belfast neighbourhood. |