We must recognise families caught up in the criminal justice system

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much courage in a room as I did last Saturday. Nobody was there because they wanted to be, and yet they came from all over Ireland to be with each other, writes Fergus Finlay. 

Throughout the afternoon there were hugs and handclasps, tears and heart-breaking stories.

In a moving ceremony, people brought pictures, poems, mementos and lighted candles to a table at the top of the room. Everyone who brought something was given a single long-stemmed rose, and in turn they queued at the end to contribute their flowers to a single and beautiful bouquet.