Archbishop Brady calls on IRA to end campaign

Archbishop Sean Brady, the Catholic primate of All Ireland, has appealed to the IRA to end its campaign for good.

In a statement to mark the tenth anniversary of the IRA ceasefire on Tuesday, Dr Brady also urged the Northern parties, who are just at the beginning of a new series of talks, to restore confidence in politics.

A decision by the IRA to remove itself, said Dr Brady, would not only be an historic event of the utmost importance, but an expression of self-confidence by republicans.

He said he would be disappointed if such a move was not met with an equally positive response on the part of loyalist groups, unionists and the British government.

Unionists too had, he said, an obligation to build confidence. Nationalists need to be reassured about their commitment to sharing enduring executive power and working the north/south institutions.

Nationalists had to reassure unionists that the Protestant tradition, including marching by the loyal orders, would be treated with similar respect.

Protestants needed, he said, to be reassured that their British identity and cultures were secure.