10 years on, family want IRA to admit lift murder
By Allison Morris
Irish News
19/07/08
THE sister of a man who bled to death following a so-called punishment shooting has called on the IRA to finally admit responsibility and apologise a decade on from the murder.
Andrew Kearney’s death in the lift of a tower block in the New Lodge area of north Belfast had political repercussions which threatened to shatter the fragile peace process just months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
The shooting on July 19 1998 breached the IRA’s second ceasefire, which had been declared 12 months previously.
Mr Kearney (33), left, had been involved in an altercation with a senior Ardoyne republican in the weeks prior to his death.
His family believe this led directly to his murder.
Mr Kearney’s sister Eleanor King said that in a private meeting with the IRA a some years ago she was told the organisation had been responsible for her brother’s shooting and that it had been a sanctioned operation.
However, on the 10-year anniversary of his death today she said it was time that admission was made public and that her family was given an official apology.
Mrs King said her brother’s murder was also now subject to reinvestigation by the PSNI team tasked with reopening past cases and that witnesses should now feel free to come forward without fear.
“Andrew’s daughters are growing up and they are hurting,” Mrs King said.
“Several years ago I had a meeting with the IRA and they admitted my brother’s murder was wrong.
“I would call on them now to publicly state that for the sake of his children.”
Mr Kearney was dragged from his flat to a nearby lift and shot once in each leg.
The door of the lift was jammed and, before leaving, one of his attackers tore the phone from the wall, delaying any call for help.
The main arteries in both his legs were severed and by the time emergency crews arrived at the scene he had bled to death.
Mr Kearney’s 66-year-old mother Margaret launched a campaign for justice after the IRA denied involvement.
Mrs Kearney died a year after her son’s murder.
Mrs King said her mother “died a broken woman because of what happened to Andrew”.
“As a family we feel our brother’s death has been forgotten in the interest of peace.
“A decade on and we hear a lot about disclosure, truth and justice and we feel we are entitled to the those same rights.
“Andrew’s daughters are only really starting to fully understand what happened to their father,” she said.
“We want the IRA to own up to my brother’s death and finally publicly admit for the sake of his children that his murder was wrong and should never have happened.”
