Letter: The Provos who murdered my brother were and are a nakedly sectarian organisation

A letter from Ken Funston
Ronnie Funston, shot dead at his farm in Pettigo, Fermanagh 40 years ago, March 1984. His brother Ken says that half-hearted apologies by O'Neill and McDonald for previous republican atrocities mean nothingRonnie Funston, shot dead at his farm in Pettigo, Fermanagh 40 years ago, March 1984. His brother Ken says that half-hearted apologies by O'Neill and McDonald for previous republican atrocities mean nothing
Ronnie Funston, shot dead at his farm in Pettigo, Fermanagh 40 years ago, March 1984. His brother Ken says that half-hearted apologies by O'Neill and McDonald for previous republican atrocities mean nothing
By Letters
Published 26th Mar 2024, 00:01 BST
Updated 26th Mar 2024, 07:08 BST

My brother Ronnie was murdered on 13th March, 40 years ago, by the Provos at our farm in Fermanagh.

It is something my family and I have had to live with all this time.

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It was yet another sectarian murder by that organisation that their apologists have tried to portray as something else.

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Let's not try and make excuses for them; they were and are a nakedly sectarian organisation that continues to hide behind platitudes and soundbites.

Half-hearted apologies by Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald in the media for previous atrocities mean nothing; why are they apologising on behalf of the PIRA, other than illustrating that they represent that organisation?

It was Wolfe Tone who said that it was his desire "to substitute the common name of Irishmen in place of the denomination of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter – these were my means."

PIRA have managed to destroy the then purpose of Irish republicanism and divide the people in a way in which it will difficult to ever recover from.

Ken Funston, By email

Related topics:FermanaghMary Lou McDonaldMichelle O'NeillProtestant