Minister urges caution over calls for talks with Lyra's killers

Fr Joe Gormley, who anointed the 29-year-old journalist after she was shot dead last Thursday, said we must “have conversations” with those who would excuse what happened as an accident.

The Creggan priest said it was “very important we don’t excuse those who did that,” but added: “To dehumanise them is not to respect their dignity.”

Asked if he would be personally willing to talk to them, he said: “If they were willing to have a conversation with me.”

However, Church of Ireland minister Rev Alan Irwin, whose father and uncle were both murdered by the IRA, said any approach for talks would give those responsible “a level of credibility” they don't deserve.

“That’s what happened in 1998 with the Provisionals and now they appear to be almost untouchable,” he said.

“We’ve now discovered about the on-the-run letters and everything else, and people continue to eulogise acts of terrorism in the past but somehow that seems to be acceptable. I think it’s wrong if you start to give them credibility.”

The rector of Lack parish in Co Fermanagh added: “If you do, they are really negotiating their peace on their terms, not our terms, and that has been shown in the past.”

Commenting on the support of some nationalist representatives for talks, Rev Irwin said: “I would urge caution. For those responsible to call it an accident is wrong. They deliberately went out to murder, irrespective of who that individual is.”

SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said he supported the idea of talks.

“I’ve been saying for some time that we need to move beyond condemnation and towards conversation in an attempt to get these people to move away from their violent ways,” he said.

Former SDLP long-serving MLA Alban Maginness also supports the priest's thinking, saying Fr Joe Gormley was in the best position to gauge whether any talks with dissident republicans in Londonderry could have a positive outcome.

“He is a man that knows the community, and can feel the pulse of the community,” Mr Maginness said.

“It’s important that somebody who knows, who’s familiar with, and who could actually contribute something in terms of creating a dialogue with these people, would try to get them to stop doing what they are doing, in terms of violence.

“I wouldn’t criticise him and I don’t think he’s giving them any status.”

Mr Maginness added: “He’s trying to relate to people who are doing dreadful things but nonetheless must be talked to.”