My father gave his life for a safer Ireland and someone must answer for his murder by IRA terrorists

The acquittal of Brendan McFarlane on one charge of false imprisonment and two firearms charges in June of 2008 in the kidnapping of Don Tidey does not take away from the fact that he has never given an adequate explanation to a key matter.

He has not explained why his fingerprints were found to be present at the scene in Derrada Woods, Co Leitrim, where two members of the security forces were murdered on 16th December 1983.

No one has ever faced prosecution for the murders up to the present time.

The two young men included my father, Private Patrick Kelly, a member of the real Oglaigh na hEireann, Defence Forces Ireland, alongside Garda Gary Sheehan.

Therefore, you can appreciate how distraught I personally felt to see Mr McFarlane topping the bill of an online Sinn Fein St Patrick’s Day Concert in recent days when my father has missed out on so many of life celebrations, including St Patrick’s Day, these past 37 years.

He never had the chance to see his grandchildren and they never had the opportunity to meet him. He never got to see one of his sons follow in his footsteps in joining the army.

Likewise, he was not present to see another son graduate from university.

My mother became severely depressed after his loss and died young, and we live with the consequences of a human rights atrocity day and daily.

This is about the human cost of terrorism in our country.

I would like to invite Mr McFarlane to publicly explain to the families of the victims how his fingerprints were found to be present at the scene of my father’s murder and that of Garda Gary Sheehan’s.

I would also invite his party president, Mary Lou McDonald, who also participated in the concert, to persuade him to come forward with any information he may have about the events of that terrible day.

My father was part of a search team sent out by the state on behalf of the Irish public to return a kidnapped citizen back to his family.

Private Kelly and Garda Sheehan gave their tomorrows for a safer, peaceful Ireland.

Someone must be held accountable for the Derrada woods murders in return for their sacrifice for our freedom to live in peace.

David Kelly, Son of Private Patrick Kelly of Oglaigh na hEireann, Irish Defence Forces, Moate, Westmeath

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