O'Hare: My war is over

Dessie O'Hare, one of the most notorious republican paramilitaries to emerge from the Troubles in the North, has declared that his war is over and that the conditions for armed struggle with Britain no longer exist.

O'Hare, who is serving a 40-year prison term for abducting dentist John O'Grady and cutting off two of his fingers, said last night that he unequivocally accepts the INLA's 1998 ceasefire.

Last week, he was moved from Portlaoise Prison to Castlerea Prison in anticipation of his eventual release under the Good Friday Agreement.

In a statement to the media, O'Hare, nicknamed the Border Fox, welcomed the steps taken by the Government to bring closure to the conflict.