Death of Sinn Féin activist Margaret McKenna

Margeret McKenna

Tributes have been paid to a former Sinn Féin councillor who passed away on Monday 7 February.

Margaret McKenna, a lifelong republican activist, was elected as a Sinn Féin representative for the Moyola district electoral area on Magherafelt District Council in 1993 and served two terms up until 2001 when she stepped down to care for her elderly mother.

Martin McGuinness, MP for Mid-Ulster, led tributes to the former councillor, who died after a short illness.

"My condolences go to Margaret's family, friends and comrades," he said.

"Margaret served the people of South Derry as a councillor for a number of years and always put her constituents first and served them unselfishly. She will be sadly missed."

Margaret McKenna, as chairperson of the Fergal O'Hanlon/John Davey Sinn Féin Cumann in Lavey, recently had been playing a lead role in key Sinn Féin campaigns and prior to her illness, had accepted her cumann's nomination to seek re-election to Magherafelt District Council later this year.

• Full funeral report and appreciation to appear in next week's edition of An Phoblacht.