Statement by TUV Party Chairman, Causeway Councillor Allister Kyle:
“Today Sinn Fein once again showed its contempt for the victims of IRA terrorism, as Mary Lou McDonald took to social media to commemorate the death of IRA gunman Joe McDonnell. She described him as ‘a beacon in the struggle for the freedom and unity of Ireland.’
“Let’s be clear: the only thing Joe McDonnell should be remembered for is his failed attempt to bomb a furniture shop. He was rightly convicted of possession of firearms and explosives, and involvement in a bombing campaign.
“Yet for his efforts to plant a bomb in a civilian area, the Sinn Fein leader holds him up as a role model — a “beacon” for the kind of Ireland she wants to create. That speaks volumes.
“Without a trace of irony, Ms McDonald quotes McDonnell saying: “I am prepared to die if necessary, and I know that I may die.” But the grim reality is this: the hunger strikers chose to end their own lives. That choice was not afforded to the more than 1,700 men, women and children who were murdered by the IRA”.