Northern Ireland

SDLP, UUP and DUP councillors walk out of meeting over Sinn Féin Enniskillen bomb row

The aftermath of the 1987 Enniskillen bombing - an IRA attack which killed 11 people
The aftermath of the 1987 Enniskillen bombing - an IRA attack which killed 11 people The aftermath of the 1987 Enniskillen bombing - an IRA attack which killed 11 people

SDLP, UUP and DUP COUNCILLORS in Fermanagh and Omagh council have walked out of a meeting after the Sinn Féin chairman failed to formally apologise for comments he made about the Enniskillen bombing.

Sinn Féin chairman Stephen McCann said earlier this month he would not "go down the road of condemning" the IRA's 1987 bombing in the Co Fermanagh town which killed 11 people. During the same interview with the Impartial Reporter he also praised IRA man Seamus McElwaine, who was shot dead by the SAS in 1986.

When asked to apologise and retract his comments at Thursday night's council meeting, Mr McCann refused.

SDLP, Ulster Unionist and DUP councillors then walked out.

SDLP councillor Mary Garrity said her party was "completely horrified by the interview".

"We have been contacted by people who support us who were very hurt," she said.

Ms Garrity, who was chairman of the council until June, said Mr McCann's remarks reflected badly on his position.

"It's sad that in this day and age that we have a first citizen who's not representing the whole area," she said.

She said she and her colleagues felt they had no choice but to walk out.

"There are so many hurt people," she said. "What we did was as a protest."

The DUP team on the council said Mr McCann "refused to provide immediate clarity nor an apology".

"Our protest recognises the huge hurt and anger felt by many innocent victims following his comments," they said.

"We are encouraged that our protest was supported by fellow unionists and other nationalist members."

Ulster Unionist councillor Howard Thornton said Mr McCann's refusal to apologise was "frankly perverse and clearly unbefitting of someone who is supposed to be the First Citizen of our local district".

"How can Cllr McCann seriously justify to himself that he is truly representing this area?" he said.

"As a result of his refusal to apologise for his comments, we as a group of Ulster Unionist councillors felt we had no other option but to withdraw from tonight’s meeting and take no further part in it."

The next council meeting is in September.