Support for Jean McConville legal action against SF ‘heartwarming’

Seamus McKendry, the late Jean McConville’s son-in-law, said he had considered putting a pause on donations to the appeal after the initial £10,000 was quickly surpassed.

Jean McConville, a widow, was abducted from her family home in west Belfast in 1972, murdered and secretly buried.

Her daughter, Helen McKendry, said she “lost everything” following the IRA murder.

The IRA, for almost 30 years, denied any involvement and refused to reveal where the mother-of-ten was buried.

Her remains were eventually discovered at a beach in Co Louth in 2003 after a storm.

In the fundraising appeal, Mrs McKendry said she is now seeking to sue Sinn Fein for “reparations for all that I have lost — especially my mother’s love.”

Mr McKendry, meanwhile, has said the family are seeking to appoint an accountancy firm to handle the financial aspect of the legal campaign after more than £15,000 was donated through the GoFundMe website.

Speaking to the News Letter, he said: “People don’t want to stop donating, but I’m concerned about holding someone else’s money.

“We are going to set up with an accountancy firm, and at the moment the funds are locked in with GoFundMe anyway until we nominate who we want to look after it.

“I would feel more comfortable with a third-party looking after the financial side of things.”

He continued: “The last time I looked at it we had 727 donations, and £15,445.

“We have enough, now, for our current legal action. What we don’t know is what will happen if, for whatever reason, it doesn’t succeed and we would have to appeal.”

Mr McKendry added: “The generosity of the people has been very, very heartwarming. The messages coming through, in particular, has been very heartwarming. You couldn’t fail to be moved by it. It’s been from all over — retired people, not retired people, pensioners, young people, everyone.”

He added: “It would be great for the public to say what they should do with any surplus, if there is any surplus that is.”

Jean McConville was one of a number of people believed to have been abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans.

According to the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), four bodies are still actively being sought. Captain Robert Nairac who was abducted from a south Armagh pub in May 1977, Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone who disappeared in October 1975, Joseph Lynskey from the Beechmount area of west Belfast who went missing during the summer of 1972. The fourth, Seamus Maguire from Lurgan, was only added to the ICLVR list last week. Mr Maguire went missing around 1973/1974.

Sinn Fein has been invited to comment.

READ: Daughter of IRA victim Jean McConville to sue Sinn Fein

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