Ferris accused of hypocrisy in criticism of London blasts

Donal Hickey

The Kerry North TD condemned the London attacks but said there was no comparison with the IRA’s campaigns which, he said, never deliberately targeted civilians.

Meanwhile, Republicans were accused of “spectacular stupidity” yesterday after they picketed a job centre in west Belfast visited by 20 European employment ministers and forced British works and pensions secretary David Blunkett to cancel his trip. The protesters demanded the release of jailed IRA killer Sean Kelly.

Mr Blunkett said he felt that protesting for the freedom of a mass murderer the day after the London bombings was inappropriate. Mr Ferris, meanwhile, came under a barrage of criticism from listeners to Radio Kerry yesterday.

“People seemed horrified that Mr Ferris should reject any comparison with IRA activities. There was huge reaction, with people ringing and texting in for two hours,” said Treasa Murphy, producer of the station’s current affairs programme, Kerry Today.

“About 95% of callers condemned his comments as hypocritical. Some of the calls came from people who had lived in Britain during the 70s and 80s.

“These people were very angry and said they had to endure the backlash Irish people in England received at the time in the wake of IRA bombings there.”

Mr Ferris described Thursday’s atrocities as a disgrace, saying he was “totally shocked and horrified that such an indiscriminate attack on innocent civilians could take place”. He pointed out many Kerry people were in London and hoped they were unharmed.

Mr Ferris, who served 10 years in Portlaoise Prison for his part in the Marita Ann gunrunning in 1984, was forced to defend his condemnations after being accused of hypocrisy.

Mr Ferris said the London bombings were a deliberate, pre-meditated attack against ordinary working class innocent people. The Birmingham bombings were wrong, he said, and the IRA had apologised, but he would not condemn any IRA action because it was always aimed at the British establishment and the British military presence in Ireland.