Father of 12-year-old boy murdered by IRA asks Feile organisers and sponsors to think again after Wolfe Tones close event by singing 'ooh ah up the 'ra'

Tourism NI, the Arts Council and Belfast City Council continue to stand by the festival in west Belfast despite the annual controversy when the Wolfe Tones finished their set with ‘Celtic Symphony’ which includes the lyrics ‘ooh ah up the 'ra’.

Colin Parry, whose son Tim was 12 when he was killed by a bomb in a bin outside a sports shop in Warrington, said: “You would hope to God that any right minded person living in Northern Ireland – whatever their politics – would want to stop all of this."

Speaking on this morning’s Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster, he continued: "For these institutions knowingly or unknowingly to fund an enterprise which would celebrate what went on, what was perpetrated, it really is beyond belief

"It's sickening, it's one thing to remember people who died heroically in a cause that we can all recognise but given the awful history in Northern Ireland over many, many years and knowing how much of a powderkeg it can be, then to incite potential further horrific acts inspired by the apparent rapture of singing this song is dangerous beyond belief.”

Asked if he had anything to say to the sponsors of the festival, he said: “Think again, think again about the pain and anger it will cause to so many people who were victims of the IRA and for them to fund this knowing, or seem to know what may happen at the end, this celebratory song. It's offensive, it's devisive, it stirs up old memories, it stirs up ancient hatred, it does no good in that sense, leaving aside the good things about the event.

"That session at the end should not have been allowed, they should have stamped on it and stopped it.”

Colin said that seeing people celebrate the IRA and its legacy brought him great sadness.

He commented: “I respect republicans who want to see the border gone, I respect unionists who want to see the border remain, I'm neutral on all of that, but the IRA was a brutal organisation as indeed were unionist paramilitary groups too.”

Colin thought that it may be mostly people who are too young to remember the Troubles who sing the ‘ooh ah up the ‘ra’ chant.

He said: “I guess it's predominantly young people, I don't know this, but I guess many of those people saying ‘up the ‘ra’ were probably not born or maybe were tiny babies when the Good Friday Agreement was signed.

"I just think for the good of that agreement, we know it has its faults, and we know it has not produced everything we want, but for the good of the survival of that agreement and for Northern Ireland to move on and move beyond all of this historical nastiness it's just unthinkable that people should celebrate in that way.”

Two bombs planted by the IRA in bins in Warrington town centre killed Tim Parry and three-year-old Johnathan Ball on March 20, 1993.

Colin said that when his son was murdered he was going to buy a pair of football shorts: “He was going into a sport shop to buy, he hoped, a pair of Neville Southall football shorts. He was at that time Everton's goalkeeper and Tim like me, like my father, were all diehard Everton fans.

"He saved a penalty in a school match because he wasn't allowed to play outfield, he'd just had his appendix removed, he saved a penalty and therefore he suddenly wanted to become a goalkeeper instead of a centre forward, hence he wanted those shorts.

"The bomb was planted in a bin immediately outside the shop.

"I could never understand how the two guys, we know it was two but they were never identified, how they could calmly walk down early in the morning and plant bombs in two bins, cover them in litter so they would be seen and calmly walk away knowing there would be carnage, there would be death, there would be serious injuries.

"I can't begin to get inside their heads of men who would be calm enough and cold-hearted enough to do that.”

As well as being sponsored by Tourism NI, the Arts Council and Belfast City Council, Feile is endorsed by Charity Commission

A spokesperson for the Charity Commission said: “In August of last year, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland received concerns regarding the annual West Belfast Festival held by registered charity Feile An Phobail Limited.

“Having assessed the concerns raised, commissioners concluded that the charity, as a result of performances at the festival, had not contravened charity law.

“One of the concerned parties requested that the commission review its decision not to take regulatory action under its internal decision review process. The charity was advised of this request.

“The concerned party also requested that a specific question is referred to the Charity Tribunal under para 1 of Schedule 4 to the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

“The concerned party has been advised that this request is currently being considered by the commission.

“While both requests are under consideration, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time.”

A tweet from Feile an Phobail said the 2023 festival had been the “biggest and best ever”.

The tweet added: “This year you welcomed the world to West Belfast. You danced and sang and laughed and enjoyed everything Feile has to offer.

“Thank you for making Feile an Phobail the largest Community Arts Festival in Ireland.”

Singer-songwriter Phil Coulter and former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn were among those who took part in this year’s festival.