McCartney family to meet Dermot Ahern in Dublin today

The family of the man stabbed to death outside a Belfast pub last month are due to meet Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern in Dublin this morning to seek Irish Government support for their campaign for justice.

Thirty-three-year-old Robert McCartney was beaten and stabbed to death on January 30, allegedly by senior IRA members.

His family have accepted that the killing was not an IRA operation, but have accused those responsible of using their IRA links to intimidate witnesses and hide evidence.

The McCartneys have also welcomed an IRA statement saying the murder was against republican ideals and calling on anyone with information to come forward.

Despite this, the matter has led to a backlash against the IRA from some of Sinn Féin's staunchest supporters in Belfast.