Castlederg Parade Passes Peacefully

An IRA memorial parade through Castlederg in County Tyrone on Sunday has passed off without major incident.

The Tyrone Volunteers Day Parade was in memory of Seamus Harvey and Gerard McGlynn: two IRA men who were killed 40 years ago when a bomb they were carrying accidentally exploded.

Unionists had called for the PSNI and the Secretary of State Theresa Villiers to ban the parade, calling it insensitive.

Ms Villiers told unionists before the parade that it was not within her legal power to do so, but urged the organisers to call it off.

Counter protests staged on the day included the families of IRA murder victims.

The town experienced a heavy police presence during the parade, due to serious civil disorder at a loyalist protest on Friday evening in Belfast city centre.

West Tyrone Ulster Unionist Ross Hussey praised what he called "the dignity of IRA Victims" and accused republicans of "glorifying terrorism".

"As local representatives for the West Tyrone and Castlederg areas, it was a privilege for my Brother, Councillor Derek Hussey and I to stand shoulder to shoulder today with the families of the Victims of IRA terror," he said.

"In the face of intense provocation from apologists for murder, the families maintained their dignity and ensured that the memories of their loved ones will always rise above that of the bombers and those that celebrate murderers."

He continued: "As for Sinn Féin themselves, I don't think they have any shame - celebrating Irish republican bombers on the same day as families gather in Omagh to remember their loved ones, murdered by Irish republican bombers in that town 15 years ago."

Speaking at the event on Sunday, Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly told a crowd the parade had suffered from a "building media maelstrom of attacks."

"No Unionist MLA, Councillor, MP or Minister; no loyalist paramilitary or Loyal Order spokesperson - no matter how loud they shout, will prevent me or any other republican honouring our comrades who gave their lives in the Struggle for Irish freedom and equality," he said.

"The Republicans and Nationalists of Castlederg / Aghyaran and of Tyrone remember the oppression of house raids, harassment, internment, collusion, imprisonment and shoot to kill. They also remember when the RUC, UDR and British Army in their thousands tried to prevent the dignified burials of our comrades killed in action.

"There was a war, which the Orange Apartheid State caused through its institutionalised and endemic discrimination and oppression of the Catholic population over generations. It was described succinctly by Lord Craigavon as 'A Protestant State for a Protestant People.' Terrible things happened during that conflict. Terrible suffering was inflicted on all sides - by all sides. But let us not countenance a hierarchy of victims which would discriminate against Republicans and Nationalists not just in life, but in death also."

(IT/CD)