Kathleen Feeney
IRA apologises over child killing
The IRA has apologised for killing a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Derry more than 30 years ago.
The IRA blamed the Army for shooting Kathleen Feeney near her Brandywell home in 1973, and claimed later it killed a soldier in retaliation.
The Army had said a patrol came under fire in Quarry Street, but insisted none of the soldiers opened fire.
In a statement in the Derry Journal newspaper, the IRA said that one of its members shot the teenager.
The IRA said it apologised unreservedly for what happened and admitted that its failure to accept responsibility for the killing added to the family’s hurt and pain.
The statement was issued in response to a request from the Feeney family for the IRA to publicly acknowledge that its members killed the schoolgirl.
On Friday, the family said the statement “brings closure for them”.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said that he welcomed this development.
“The most important element in all of that is the Feeney family,” he said.
“I would hope that the statement helps to bring closure to that family and I therefore welcome the statement.”
