City Leads Norwegian Massacre Condolences

As flowers and candles were placed outside the Royal Norwegian Embassy in London overnight, the Mayor of Belfast Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile opened a book of condolence at City Hall today to mark the tragedy.

As Scotland Yard said it is liaising with the Norwegian authorities amid reports the man behind the terror attacks met other right-wing extremists in London, a Swedish embassy spokesman said of the many thoughts and condolences being offered: "People have come to the embassy to express their sympathies.

"I read some of the notes they left and some were in Norwegian but most were in English."

In Belfast, the Sinn Fein Lord Mayor is leading the city in sending their sympathies to the Norwegian people following the tragic events of the weekend.

Cllr Ó Donnghaile signed the book at 10am today after which it will remain open for members of the public to sign.

Meanwhile, a UK link to the outrage is being explored as the UK National Security Council meets later to discuss Britain's response to the weekend massacre in Norway.

Anders Breivik, 32, has admitted carrying out the Oslo bombing and Utoeya island youth camp shootings on Friday, which killed at least 93 people.

He had written a 1,500-page manifesto in English, dated 'London 2011' with UK PM David Cameron set to lead the meeting of senior ministers, military chiefs and the heads of the secret service to discuss the killings.

Breivik, a Norwegian with far-right links, says he carried out the attacks alone.

He said he planted the bomb, which killed seven people in central Oslo and later carried out a massacre of 85 people at a youth camp on Utoeya. An 86th person died in hospital on Sunday.

Irish Sympathy

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore has also sent messages to Prime Minister Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Gahr-Stoere of Norway.

In the messages the Tánaiste expresses on behalf of the Irish Government and people the sense of shock here at the explosion and resultant destruction caused by a bomb in the Government district of Oslo at the weekend.

The Tánaiste has conveyed sympathy in respect of the deaths and injuries that have occurred and has expressed Ireland's solidarity with Norway in face of this horrific event.

(BMcC/GK)