'A sad day for Northern Ireland': A daughter, widow, and niece of fatal Provisional IRA victims react to Sinn Fein's historic rise to the top of political power in the country

They rubbished the assertion of Sinn Fein regional leader Michelle O’Neill that there had been “no alternative” to the IRA’s campaign, and one of them said it risks turning the country into an international “joke”, because nowhere else on Earth would accept such a party in charge.

They also questioned her assertion – repeated again on Friday – that she will be "a First Minister for all" given her party's ongoing commemoration of IRA men and their Troubles campaign which claimed roughly 1,800 lives.

• Just the facts: As pro-IRA chanting spreads across Ireland here are the hard numbers behind the IRA's insurrection

Sinn Fein was long seen as the “political wing of the IRA”, and a number of its current politicians – Policing Board member Gerry Kelly, former culture minister Caral ni Chuilin, former finance minister Conor Murphy, former Policing Board member Pat Sheehan, among many others – have served time in jail on IRA offences.

The party to this day sells memorabilia in its official shop honouring dead IRA members, pin badges of an IRA truck with a machinegun mounted on it, and pin badges and t-shirts bearing the words LONG KESH (the prison where paramilitaries were housed), and books written by IRA men.

• Wendy Gibson lost her husband Edward to the IRA in 1988.

The Coagh-born binman and UDR recruit (who had been a member of the regiment for only two weeks, and had no personal protection weapon) was shot nine times by a duo who had called him by name as he was working his rubbish collection shift.

They fled and no-one was ever convicted over the killing.

He was 22.

More about that murder here: By age 16 Edward Gibson had met his wife-to-be. By age 18 he was married. And by age 22 he was dead.

His widow never remarried.

Now aged 60, Mrs Gibson had heard rumours locally that two well-known IRA players – Michael Ryan and Lawrence McNally – were involved.

Ryan and McNally were themselves later shot dead in Coagh in 1991 by soldiers while on a mission to kill a man.

Dying alongside them was fellow IRA man Tony Doris – the cousin of newly-minted First Minister Michelle O'Neill.

Ms O'Neill's father Brendan was also in the IRA as was another cousin, Gareth Doris (who was also convicted in 2017 for being part of a fuel-laundering crime gang).

"It's a very sad day for Northern Ireland. So many people lost their lives, and gave so much,” said Mrs Gibson, who now works at a victim support group in Omagh.

"People's families' lives have been destroyed. I see people in here every day that are still struggling: they served, or had been in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bomb went off.

"I really don't know how they [Sinn Fein] sleep at night.

"There was an alternative – you don't have to go out and murder people.

"I think [outsiders] will think Northern Ireland is a joke.

"What other country in the world would this happen in? Where else has this ever happened?

"It's horrific what people went through, just because of their religion."

The IRA had always maintained that its campaign was about Irish nationhood, not religion, although the organisation killed more than twice as many Protestants as Catholics (Protestants dominate both the death toll of IRA victims who were civilians and those who were in the security forces).

• Serena Hamilton (nee Graham) lost her father David in an IRA gun attack in Coalisland in 1977, when she was a young girl.

Aged 38, he was a cement factory worker and part-time UDR volunteer.

He too was off-duty and working a shift at his civilian job when he was shot.

Mrs Hamilton said that, to her, the party is still known as "Sinn Fein-IRA".

Now 55, Mrs Hamilton said people often describe victims' relatives like her as "people who are holding back this country" by bringing up the past.

"But we didn't ask for what came to our doors," she said.

"Our families were innocent. They went out to do a day's work, and were murdered.

"For Sinn Fein to be able to still stand over that, there's no justification…

"They still justify murder. And they're going to be governing our country.

"It is a sad, sad day fro Northern Ireland. No doubt they'll be out celebrating.

"There's nothing to celebrate here, because our loved ones' graves are being trampled on, once again."

• Barbara Crockett, now 66, lost her aunt Elizabeth Palmer, 60, in the Coleraine bomb of 1973.

The bomb claimed six lives, all civilians, and wounded scores of others.

The bomber, Sean McGlinchey, was later made mayor of neighbouring Limavady, and continues to serve as a Sinn Fein councillor.

"At the end of the day, my aunt was an innocent woman out doing a day's work," said her niece, now 66, adding that Elizabeth had worked in a home for the blind in Belfast but left for Coleraine due to the constant explosions.

"It was just something you never would have expected in a civilized country.”

As for the pending appointment of a Sinn Fein First Minister, she said it brought a lot of "hurt" to the fore and said: "It's a bitter pill to swallow, there's no doubt about it."

On the idea that there was "no alternative" to the IRA campaign, she said: "That's nonsense. They had a choice and they picked the wrong choice. Everybody has choices in life.

"They're fighting for a united Ireland – but does down south even want us?

"I don't know what they're fighting over a bit of land for, because it'll be here when we're all away. It's just pointless."

She too noted that many soldiers from GB had died in Northern Ireland, and said of people in GB: "I honestly don't think that they realise what Sinn Fein is."

Disagreeing with the three people above is Philip Gault.

Aged nine, he survived being blown up in the IRA’s Bloody Friday blitz of Belfast.

He told the News Letter he has “no problem” with a Sinn Fein first minister because “we can’t have this stalemate” continuing at Stormont, and “whether or not someone is called ‘first minister’, in my opinion, it’s not a biggie”.

Sinn Fein has been asked for comment.