Families of Troubles victims Thomas Niedermayer, Paddy Wilson and Paul Maxwell to speak at Victims' Day event in Stormont

Every year since the Madrid bombings in 2004 across Europe one day in March has been set aside to remember victims of terrorist attacks.

Following his election to the Assembly, Jim Allister has hosted events at Stormont to mark the occasion, though for the past two years it has not been possible to hold the event there.

On Tuesday the event returns to its traditional setting of the Senate Chamber in Stormont, beginning at 11am.

Mr Allister said: “It will take the form of a minute of silence in memory of murdered victims, followed by three victims telling their stories so that we might hear some of the untold accounts of the consequences of terrorism, both republican and loyalist.

“I believe this will be a worthwhile effort and in previous years I received very positive feedback from those who attended. It is but right that one of the regions of Europe most savagely ravaged by terrorism should mark this important day.”

He thanked South East Fermanagh Foundation for their help in making the event possible.

Tanya Williams-Powell is one of those who will tell her story. She is one of the granddaughters of Thomas Niedermayer, who in 1973 was abducted from his home by the IRA. He was murdered and his body secretly buried. It would be seven years before his remains were discovered.

The trauma of what happened and the agonising wait for the truth caused his wife Ingeborg, daughters Gabi and Renate and Gabi’s husband Robin to take their own lives.

Paul Wilson whose father Senator Paddy Wilson was murdered by the UFF will also speak. He said he is participating in the event as he wholeheartedly believes that young people of today need to hear and understand true experiences of the Troubles.

Mary Hornsey will also be at Stormont reading poetry she has written in tribute to her beloved son Paul who was murdered along with Lord Mountbatten in a PIRA explosion onboard the boat they were in.​​​​