Sarah Harte: Let’s hope the family of murdered Pat Finucane finally get justice

Back in the 90s in some strata of Irish society, there was a whiff of cordite about the Finucane family

The widow of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, Geraldine Finucane (left), with her son John during a press conference at St Comgall’s — Ionad Eileen Howell centre in Belfast. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

IN THE late 90s, I was in the Law Society of Ireland, doing my law exams to become a solicitor. As it happened Michael Finucane, the son of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane, was in my class. 

As you will doubtless know, last week Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn ordered an independent public inquiry into Mr Finucane’s murder, he was shot in 1989 in his north Belfast home. It has been a long, winding journey for the Finucane family to get to this point, but they have never given up.