IRA apology on murders meaningless, say families

THE IRA’s apology to families of ‘The Disappeared’, people murdered and secretly buried by the Provisionals, was rejected by victims relatives last night.

As efforts continued to break the deadlock caused by unionist demands for clarity on the latest act of weapons’ decommissioning, the IRA pledged to do everything possible to end decades of anguish for families still waiting to hear where their loved ones’ remains are buried.

But as the arrangements for the funeral of the best known of the ‘The Disappeared’, Jean McConville, was finalised, her daughter, Helen McKindry, said the IRA’s statement was worthless.

“It’s just meaningless words. For the IRA to apologise after almost 31 years, they could have ended this a long, long time ago. They just put the family through sheer hell. The McConville family will never ever be right again,” she said.

The remains of mother-of-10 Mrs McConville were recovered from a beach in Co Louth in August, more than 30 years after she was seized and shot in the back of the head by the IRA. The bodies of three other victims have also been found, but at least six more have still to be located.

As the search for 17-year-old Columba McVeigh from Co Tyrone continued, his mother Vera McVeigh, insisted she was not looking for the IRA to say sorry. “The McConvilles, thank God, got their mother’s remains and I’m delighted at that. I would be delighted if I got my own son’s remains but apologies are no good to me,” she said.

The murders are causing the IRA leadership enormous embarrassment. In its statement, the IRA claimed the deaths of a number of its members had hampered its attempts to locate more bodies.

“We are sorry that the suffering of those families has continued for so long. We wish to apologise for the grief caused. We will do all we can to bring closure to the other families,” the IRA said.

Meanwhile, hopes that the deal aimed at reviving Northern Ireland’s peace process could be repaired soon were fading last night as David Trimble doubted whether the IRA would provide more information about its latest decommissioning act.

Sources in both governments echoed the Ulster Unionist Party’s uncertain assessment of the process as the IRA faced further demands for it to lift the confidentiality clause masking its third act of disarmament.

After a meeting of his party’s MPs and Assembly candidates, Mr Trimble insisted only a short period of time remained for the IRA to rescue the deal.

“They have still the opportunity of making good the mistake that was made preventing [the head of the decommissioning body General John] de Chastelain from speaking clearly and giving the inventory and putting in place the time-scales that should be there. I hope they will change but I am not all that optimistic about it happening,” Mr Trimble said.

Today’s meeting of the Ulster Unionist Party executive is regarded as a key indicator of whether the peace process deal can be refloated. Sinn Féin have denied the republican movement was to blame for the collapse of the deal earlier this week.