Political coups aside, McCartney’s shadow looms large

IT was everybody else’s fault: Ian Paisley’s, David Trimble’s, Mary Harney’s, Michael McDowell’s. Particularly Michael McDowell’s.

And what were they to blame for? Everything: the peace process falling apart, republicans blamed for the Northern Bank robbery, Sinn Fein getting vilified.

The one thing Sinn Féin couldn’t apportion the blame for elsewhere, though, was the murder of Robert McCartney on January 30 in Belfast. Following the courageous stance taken by Mr McCartney’s sisters, SF and the IRA were forced to concede that some of their members were involved in the murder.