24/10/2003

IRA apologises over 'disappeared'

The IRA has apologised to the families of the so-called 'disappeared' for the suffering it has caused them.

In a statement released today, the republican group said the re-examination of certain information over the past few months had enabled a more specific search of areas thought to contain the bodies of victims.

Such information, it said, had helped uncover Belfast woman, Jean McConville whose body was found on a Co Louth beach in August.

Police on Tuesday confirmed that the body found on Shilling Hill beach had been that of Mrs McConville who was abducted from her Belfast home in 1972 after coming to the aid of a British soldier who had been shot outside her front door.

A post mortem examination and DNA testing confirmed the identity of the Belfast woman.

In 1999, the IRA offered to help uncover the bodies of those that went missing. Today the organisation said it had acted in good faith and would do all it could to bring closure for the other families.

The bodies of Eamon Molloy, John McClory and Brian McKinney have also been found since the IRA stepped in to help in 1999, however, the rest of the information the paramilitary group gave has not been precise enough to find the others.

(MB)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

16 September 2024
Education Ministers Renews Call For Input On Uniform Policy
The Education Minister, Paul Givan, has made a final call for views on an ongoing consultation on school uniform policy.
13 November 2015
Health Managers Earning Over £100,000 Doubles In Three Years
The number of health managers earning over £100,000 has doubled in the last three years, according to figures from the Department of Health.
25 August 2005
NI pupils continue to outperform UK peers
Northern Ireland is continuing to perform well in GCSE examinations as pupils across the province receive the remainder of their results today. Local pupils obtained the first of the results on Tuesday but received the remainder on Thursday as the rest of the UK hear what they have achieved in these year's examinations.
24 April 2002
McGuinness updates Assembly on post primary debate
The Education Minister Martin McGuinness has updated the Assembly on the current stage of consultation on post primary arrangements. The Minister said he was encouraged to note that debate had shifted from whether change was needed to what kind of change is required.
01 March 2002
McGuinness claims academic selection means rejection
Stormont Education Minister Martin McGuinness has said replacing the existing 11+ with another form of academic selection is not the best way forward. The Minister was speaking in Newcastle on the review of post-primary education at the Annual Conference of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) on Friday March 1.