Time for tea and sympathy for Enniskillen victims is gone

By Letters
Published 22nd Nov 2022, 04:58 BST
Updated 22nd Nov 2022, 05:19 BST
Taoiseach Michael Martin at the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Enniskillen in November 2022Taoiseach Michael Martin at the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Enniskillen in November 2022
Taoiseach Michael Martin at the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Enniskillen in November 2022
A letter from Aileen Quinton:

Micheál Martin has tweeted about attending the war memorial in Enniskillen and included:

“In doing so, we remember all those who lost their lives following the Enniskillen bombing, 35 years ago."

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That is all very well, and of all Republic of Ireland leaders, he is one of the few that I would actually believe has a genuine disgust for IRA slaughter and an opposition to Sinn Fein that goes beyond mere political rivalry. However, that does not seem to translate to much interest in understanding the concerns of those of us left behind.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

Despite the many years that this Enniskillen wreath-laying has been going on, there has been little meaningful engagement with the bereaved and injured. Latest attempts by SEFF, the victims’ group that supports so many of us, (and mostly without a camera in sight), to secure a proper meeting have been rebuffed.

I am sure Micheál Martin is a busy man but if he has time to get a photo opportunity out of Enniskillen on the backs of our dead, then he should take the time to meet us. What message is being sent to borderland victims of terror? What prospect is there for genuinely strengthened relationships with integrity at the centre? The time for tea and sympathy is long past. Sympathy is of little use and we can make our own tea.

Aileen Quinton, Fermanagh (Her mother Alberta was murdered in 1987 Enniskillen bomb)

Related topics:Micheal MartinEnniskillenRepublic of IrelandIRASinn Fein