McCartney sisters deny sending ‘mixed signals’
Paula, Donna, Catherine, Gemma and Claire accepted an invitation to the event by party leader Gerry Adams and sat in the front row when he delivered his keynote address. The family has accused the IRA of shielding members who murdered Mr McCartney and of intimidating witnesses.
After leaving the conference Catherine said: “This is a social justice issue. Mixed signals - No.”
She said the family would only stop their campaign for truth and justice when those responsible for her brother’s death were before the courts.
Earlier, the sisters received a sustained round of applause as they were led into Dublin’s RDS Arena. They sat flanked by the party’s justice spokesman, Gerry Kelly, and Northern Ireland assembly member Catriona Ruane as they heard Mr Adams call on the culprits to admit to what they had done in a court of law.
Catherine thanked the conference attendees for the warm reception she and her sisters had received. She also said she was encouraged by Mr Adams’s promise to support them until her brother’s killers are brought to justice.
“We said at the start that we would go anywhere and speak to anyone who we feel could help us in our search for justice,” she said.
“We got a very warm welcome from those in that hall today and we would like to thank them for that. But our bottom line is that until those responsible for our brother’s death appear in court, we will not accept that everything that can be done has been done.”
Mr Adams said earlier during his address: “Those responsible, and there is no way out of this, for their brutal killing of Robert McCartney, should admit to what they did in a court of law.”
He described the crime as dreadful because republicans were involved. “That makes it a huge issue for us. I have pledged them my support and the support of this party.”
The five sisters, including Mr McCartney’s partner Bridgeen, have waged a campaign for truth and justice since Mr McCartney was knifed to death outside a Belfast bar by a drunken IRA mob on January 30.
The sisters plan to travel to Washington later this month to seek support for their campaign.
