Non-sectarian killings theory challenged

IN his letter headlined ‘Sectarian killings in South were nowhere near those in North (Irish Examiner, July 17), Niall Meehan says the “unjustifiable killings broke the terms of the Truce and they were immediately condemned by all sections of republican opinion”.

Does he mean they were unauthorised?

He also says “the killings had a political, not sectarian, motive” — just that those killed happened to be Protestant. Witness the case of Fr Shinnock and Mrs Lindsay.

They both decided to stop an ambush, yet only poor Mrs Lindsay, the Protestant, was killed.

Of course I’m not saying the score should have been levelled.

He also goes on to say it is not wise to resurrect those matters nowadays — apart from the nationalist celebrations, I suspect — as well as dismissing Peter Hart as a revisionist when the latter’s views do not coincide with his own.

Brendan Cafferty

Creggs Road

Ballina

Co Mayo