PSNI CONSTABLE RONAN KERR | PUBLIC ANGER FOLLOWS OFFICER’S MURDER

Gerry Adams lays down challenge to killers – ‘I’ll meet you any time’

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte (foreground) and members of the Red Knights GAA Club carry the coffin of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr through his home town of Beragh

GERRY ADAMS has told the killers of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr, in a bid to get them to halt their attacks: “I will meet you anywhere, at any time, to listen to what you have to say.”
Ronan Kerr, a Catholic and an active GAA player who recently graduated as a police officer, was killed by a booby-trap bomb under his car in Omagh, County Tyrone, on Saturday 2nd April.
The killing provoked a wave of public anger across Ireland amongst people determined to defend and advance the Peace Process and political progress.
At his funeral in Beragh, County Tyrone, on April 6th, the first lift of Constable Kerr’s coffin was taken by members of the local GAA club who passed it on to colleagues of the PSNI officer. Tyrone manager Mickey Harte and other GAA figures and players also took lifts of the coffin.
No group had claimed responsibility as An Phoblacht was going to press.
But when the Dáil reconvened the following Tuesday, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams TD condemned the attack and told deputies that he wanted to speak those responsible directly.
“So far you’ve refused to speak to us, you’ve dismissed us – in fact you’ve placed a death threat on some of us.
“I want to appeal to anyone who helped in any way to assist to shelter the perpetrators of this action or those who may in some way in the corner of their head or on a bar stool or in some other chat tried to justify this.
“Those who murdered Ronan Kerr are not the IRA – the IRA has left the stage.”
And he declared his determination to meet those behind this attack.
“I will meet you anywhere, at any time, to listen to what you have to say.”
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness described Ronan Kerr’s attackers “enemies of the peace, enemies of the people of Ireland”.
He said that many young nationalists and republicans had joined the police service and he said he was “as proud of them as Nuala Kerr was of Ronan”.
Declaring his unity with First Minister Peter Robinson in his support for the police service, he added:
“We are not going away. We represent the people. I represent the people of County Tyrone. I represent the people of Ireland. We are the people who will prevail.”
West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty, said that those responsible for the killing of Ronan Kerr in no way represent the views, opinions or political aspirations of republicans in the county.
“There is no cause served by this action. No explanation can be offered.
“As a lifelong republican, as an elected representative, I can say that this act cannot be claimed in the name of republicanism, the people of Tyrone, or the people of Ireland.
“The only purpose behind these groups appears to be to carry out sporadic acts of violence as either a cover for their criminal activity or crudely to demonstrate that they can bomb and kill. The groups that perpetrate these actions acknowledge that they have little support and no strategy. They have no regard for the community. They have no regard for the wishes of the Irish people.
“If they have any confidence in the path they have chosen, if they believe that they have support, let them stand in the coming elections and let the people determine who speaks on their behalf.
“The republican people of Tyrone stand four-square with the Kerr family as they come to terms with this dreadful act.”
Ex-prisoner Seán Lynch, now a member of the District Policing Partnership and Sinn Féin Assembly candidate for Fermanagh/South Tyrone described the killing as “pointless”
He strongly criticised those responsible, labelling the killing as absolutely futile, and insisted it would not stall the Peace Process nor prevent the progress of change that is taking place in policing, “change that people like Ronan were helping bring about”.
Seán knows Ronan’s family circle in Roslea, and some of them were present when joint First Minister Martin McGuinness visited the Kerr family home on the Saturday night.
Seán Lynch said:
“I call on the people responsible for the attack in Omagh to explain their actions. How is this going to advance the cause for Irish reunification and peace and reconciliation in our country?
“Sinn Féin condemns outright the attack in Omagh.
“The killing of Ronan Kerr is an appalling, desperate and pointless act. There is no justification or sense to what happened. It has not and will not achieve anything other than devastate a family and a community.
“The Peace Process is solid and the death of Ronan Kerr will do nothing but make all of us more resolute to continue the process of change in society and policing, the type of change that people like Ronan were helping bring about.”
The former political prisoner ended:
“Times have changed. Sinn Féin have provided a clear and coherent strategy to pursue republican objectives through purely peaceful and democratic means. We call on the people responsible for these acts to stop immediately.”