Council-run Troubles event: 'Sinn Fein have never said the IRA were wrong - their words have just been hollow' says DUP Belfast leader

Councillor Sarah Bunting, the leader of the city council's 14-strong DUP group, said that Sinn Fein has yet to say the IRA campaign was wrong, and has offered only “hollow words” instead.

The event is called the Day of Reflection and takes place this Friday in city hall.

It was originally conceived as a memorial to Bloody Friday: the seminal 1972 blitz when the IRA detonated a series of bombs across the city within about 90 minutes, killing nine people.

The explosions were so numerous that to this day no-one's even sure how many there were – though a News Letter investigation on the 50th anniversary mapped them out and estimated there were a minimum of 22.​​​​​​

However, now that the 50th anniversary of that massacre has passed, the council event has instead morphed into a general commemoration for victims of the Troubles.

The council describes it as a day to “acknowledge the deep hurt and pain caused by the conflict in and about Northern Ireland”.

It adds: “Visitors can call in, 6pm-8.30pm, to engage in quiet reflection, take part in creative arts, listen to a selection of poetry and readings and speak to representatives from a range of support organisations.

“There will be a screening of a short film by local organisation Healing Through Remembering at 6pm.”

Ms Bunting said that the DUP group annually holds its own commemoration of Bloody Friday in city hall on its anniversary, but that its councillors also attend the general Day of Reflection too.

She did not recall seeing any Sinn Fein members at last year's event (but stressed that some could have been there at some point, and she just missed them).

Sinn Fein has been asked if it is attending this year, and an answer is awaited.

But in any case, Ms Bunting said: “I know there was some hurt felt whenever they did attend the anniversary of Bloody Friday without an apology for what was done.

“It's all very hollow words that come from them. There's never been a proper apology for what happened that day.

“And to just say some hollow words and think people should just get over it essentially just isn't good enough.

“It was never 'we are sorry, we were wrong'.”

What would she want to hear from Sinn Fein if the party does want to attend events such as this Friday's one?

“I think an apology,” she said, and a “recognition they [the IRA] were wrong ... and there was no justification for what they did”.

Her criticism of Sinn Fein's “hollow words” were put to the party but no response had been received at time of writing.

The book ‘Lost Lives’ gives a total death toll of 3,636 from 1966 to 1999 from all sides, with the IRA behind at least 49% of all killings – 1,771 in all.