Threats made against resident groups spokesmen

Nationalist residents groups cast doubt today over their involvement in a conference on the Northern Ireland parades issue after two of their leading spokesmen received death threats from a renegade loyalist group.

Postal workers intercepted two packages containing live rounds of ammunition and threats purporting to come from the Orange Volunteers yesterday to Garvaghy Road Residents spokesman Breandan Mac Cionnaith and Lower Ormeau Concerned Community spokesman Gerard Rice.

Mr Mac Cionnaith said the death threats were conveyed to him by police late last night and made a ‘‘veiled reference’’ to a conference on the marching issue in Templepatrick, Co Antrim this weekend.

The nationalist residents group spokesman, whose community has opposed a march by Portadown Orangemen from Drumcree through his area, said conference organisers had been told of concerns about the Templepatrick location.

He said: ‘‘Although such threats towards myself or Gerard Rice are not new, this latest one confirms those fears which we initially had about the location of this highly-sensitive conference.

‘‘It is a threat which is being taken seriously, not only by ourselves but also by senior Irish Government officials who have been in touch with us.

‘‘Obviously, there is now a major question mark over the safety of nationalists attending this conference or travelling to and from it.

‘‘Events of the recent past have shown only too brutally that loyalist paramilitaries, under whatever flag of convenience they operate, are still pursuing a campaign of murder and intimidation against Catholics and nationalists.’’

Ten days ago, the Ulster Defence Association gunned down Catholic postal worker Daniel McColgan, using the cover name of the Red Hand Defenders to initially claim it.

Mr McColgan’s murder sparked province-wide protests, with trade unions organising rallies across the province against threats also issued by loyalists against Catholic teachers and postal workers.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said while they did not discuss specific threats to individuals, it was their practice to inform a person once it was known that a threat had been made against them.