Northern Ireland

AOH delegation meets Brandon Lewis on legacy

Secretary of State Brandon Lewis
Secretary of State Brandon Lewis Secretary of State Brandon Lewis

Prominent Irish-American campaigner Martin Galvin has met with Secretary of State Brandon Lewis to discuss Westminster’s controversial legacy proposals.

Mr Galvin, who was banned from entering the north by the British government in the 1980s, was part of an Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) delegation that met with Mr Lewis at the weekend.

Former Noraid director of publicity, Martin Galvin and AOH National Vice President Sean Pender held a 45-minute meeting with the Tory MP in New York on Sunday.

Controversial British government proposals aim to establish a Troubles amnesty and end all civil proceedings and inquests.

Mr Galvin, who is AOH Freedom for All Ireland Chair, said the organisation has “been worked for decades with Relatives for Justice, the Ballymurphy Massacre Campaign, Bloody Sunday and others, fighting for the truth about the murder of their loved ones.

“They believe that these new British proposals would shut down their path to legacy justice and deprive them of basic rights guaranteed under the Good Friday Agreement and international law," he said.

“They believe the British amnesty proposals would not draw a line under the past, but add a new chapter of hurt and injustice,” he said.

And Mr Galvin added: “The AOH was grateful for the opportunity to convey these feelings directly to the British Secretary Lewis.”

The Northern Ireland Office was contacted.