IRA lied to cover up murder of schoolgirl

THE IRA lied to cover up for a gunman who murdered a schoolgirl in the North more than 30 years ago, it emerged yesterday.

The Provisionals blamed British troops for the death of Kathleen Feeney, 14, even though it was one of their snipers who fired the fatal shot on November 14, 1973.

But yesterday, under pressure from the girl’s family, the IRA in Derry owned up to their guilt.

The admission came as speculation mounted that the organisation will soon announce plans to wind down its paramilitary and criminal structures and it was being interpreted in some quarters as a confidence building measure.

The Provisionals’ statement read: “The IRA accepts responsibility for the death of Kathleen Feeney. Our failure to publicly accept responsibility for her death until now has only added to the hurt and pain of the Feeney family.

“The leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann wish to apologise unreservedly to the Feeney family for the death of Kathleen and for all the grief that our actions have caused to them.”

In response, Kathleen’s family said they hoped the move would bring them the comfort they had long sought.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams welcomed the statement and said he hoped it would help to bring closure to the family.

“At least the IRA is prepared to stand up and take responsibility for something that they did,” Mr Adams said in Dublin yesterday.

However, unionists accused the organisation of a cover-up spanning more than three decades.

“While it will be of some comfort to the family of Kathleen to know more about the circumstances of the death, it only adds new hurt to the grief of the relatives of the soldier killed in ‘retaliation’ for the supposed murder of Kathleen Feeney by the British Army,” said East Derry DUP MP Gregory Campbell.

Eleven days after Kathleen was killed two soldiers were shot dead in an IRA ambush in the Bogside, not far from where Kathleen was killed.

“Once again, we see how lies and cover up are the stock in trade of the IRA,” said Mr Campbell.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Michael McDowell yesterday said the IRA admission proved they were lying all along.

“I’m glad for the family of that girl that they’ve eventually had an acknowledgment for what they’ve know for many years. Firstly that the IRA killed their daughter and secondly that the IRA lied through its teeth at the time and blamed the killing on the British army and maintained that lie in a cowardly fashion for many years.”