Republic commemoration event in Armagh blasted by victims' group SEFF
An event commemorating two dead IRA men has been criticised.
Victims’ campaigner Kenny Donaldson said the republican event in Armagh to honour the lives of Dessie Grew and Martin McCaughey serves no other purpose than “goading innocent victims and rubbing further salt into their wounds”.
A group known as ‘Independent Republicans Armagh’ held a parade and commemoration in honour of the pair in the city on Sunday.
McCaughey and Grew died after an SAS unit opened fire on them at farm buildings near Loughgall, Co Armagh in October 1990.
Although both men were armed neither of them fired any shots, provoking claims that they could have been arrested.
But in May 2012 an inquest jury found the killings were justified.
SEFF director Mr Donaldson stated: “We stand opposed to the glorification of this terrorism and violence through publicly organised coat-trailing events such as that organised in Armagh on Sunday. These events goad innocent victims and rub further salt into their wounds, causing retraumatisation and palpable feelings of injustice.
“Many families around the east Tyrone and Co Armagh area and much further afield (including Europe) are thought to have been directly impacted by the actions of Dessie Grew and also through the actions of Martin McCaughey.
“Martin McCaughey and Dessie Grew were not victims, they were perpetrators and terrorists. They may have held grievances (real or perceived) against the UK state but that never legitimised the use of violence and the perpetration of murder.”