Northern Ireland

Fifteen arrested at dissident republican's funeral

 Around a dozen men, dressed in paramilitary-style uniform, accompanied the cortege as it travelled towards the church
 Around a dozen men, dressed in paramilitary-style uniform, accompanied the cortege as it travelled towards the church  Around a dozen men, dressed in paramilitary-style uniform, accompanied the cortege as it travelled towards the church

FIFTEEN men have been arrested at the funeral of a dissident republican in Co Tyrone.

Michael Barr (35), from Strabane, was shot dead in a Dublin bar last month.

He was hit up to three times when two gunmen burst into the Sunset House pub in the Summerhill area of the city and died at the scene.

His murder is believed to have been linked to a bloody underworld power-struggle between the Kinahan and Hutch families and their associates.

There are conflicting reports as to whether Barr was the intended target or if a member of the Hutch family was in the pub at the time.

Hundreds of people turned out for his funeral mass at St Mary's Church in the Melmount area of Strabane on Thursday morning.

Around a dozen men, dressed in paramilitary-style uniform, accompanied the cortege as it travelled towards the church.

Black flags were also placed on lampposts along part of the route while a black beret and gloves were placed on top of the coffin which had been draped in an Irish tricolour.

There was a significant police presence on both sides of the border ahead of the funeral.

The PSNI said 14 men had been detained under the Terrorism Act.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "As a result of the policing operation at the funeral of Michael Barr in Strabane earlier today, 14 males have been arrested under the Terrorism Act."

At the time of his death Barr was due to be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court for handling stolen electrical equipment.

He had pleaded guilty to the offence at Finnstown House Hotel on July 18 2014 where a bomb had been found in a car two months earlier.

Republican supporters described him as "ex-Republican POW".

He had lived in Poppintree in the Ballymun area and also in Finglas before moving to the north inner city since taking over the Sunset House pub some time in the last year.