The north's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness was not welcome to attend the funeral yesterday of David Black, 52, the first prison warden to be shot dead by paramilitaries in 20 years.
According to The Sun, bereaved family members refused the offer from McGuinness to attend. Black was ambushed by dissident republicans as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison in County Antrim last Thursday.
Yesterday Black's colleagues from the Northern Ireland Prison Service reportedly carried his coffin at his funeral on Tuesday as a kilt-wearing bagpiper played a lament through the empty streets of Cookstown, County Tyrone.
Family members, including his son Kyle, brought the married father-of-two's body on the final few steps into Molesworth Presbyterian Church.
According to The Star, First Minister Peter Robinson, PSNI chief constable Matt Baggott and Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers all attended to hear the head of the Presbyterian Church, Dr Roy Patton, claim the attack was an attack on the whole community.
'We are together in this, totally united as churches, politicians, civic society, ordinary men and women who feel for you today in your unspeakable loss, and who in the strongest possible terms are outraged by such an evil deed,' he said, making no reference to McGuinness' absence. 'This attack on a prison officer was an attack on this whole community.'
'As a people we stand together as those who have chosen a different way than the way of violence, that we have no desire whatsoever to be dragged back into the darkness, that what you have brought about in the death of David Black is totally unacceptable as far as we are concerned as well as being totally wrong in the eyes of God,' he added.
First Minister Peter Robinson told the press that top security must be given to prison officers to prevent a repeat of Black's brutal killing. Black is the first prison officer to be killed by paramilitaries since 1993.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seamus60 | Nov 08, 2012, 05:18 PM EST
At least it denied Mc Guinness the platform to once again denounce Republicans as criminals.
pilib04 | Nov 08, 2012, 12:02 PM EST
Apparently that "whole community referred to only includes Loyalists and the fringe SDLP.
pilib04 | Nov 08, 2012, 12:00 PM EST
Does not bode well have "healing wounds" that divide us.
aloistmartin | Nov 07, 2012, 06:57 PM EST
Dublin Derry would love nothing more than to be rid of Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams as the British were James Connolly; So I. suppose one should be grateful ?
seanomelb | Nov 07, 2012, 05:16 PM EST
Tell me Kilsally was the officer shot in 1979 one of those who mistreated Sand and other republicans incarcerated illegally in the north.
cillowen | Nov 07, 2012, 10:58 AM EST
The peace that is so selective - what a waste of time - stop trying the mister nice guy for oranges.
Kilsally | Nov 07, 2012, 10:29 AM EST
Mike Nesbitt leader of the UUP, Alasdair McDonnell leader of the SDLP, David Ford the NI Justice Minister and leader of the Alliance Party, Vernon Croaker the Labour Party NI Shadow Secretary of State , and Alan Shatter the Republic of Ireland`s Justice Minister were also there.
Kilsally | Nov 07, 2012, 10:26 AM EST
5th Novemeber 1979 the IRA shot and killed a Scottish man working as a Prison Officer in Northern Ireland whilst he was driving to work.