Masked and armed men kneel at the Tricolour draped coffin of Peggy O’Hara
DETECTIVES investigating masked men and women at the funeral and wake of Peggy O’Hara, the mother 1981 INLA hunger striker Patsy O’Hara, have carried out a number of searches.
Dozens of people wearing military-style uniform, berets and dark glasses attended the funeral in Derry on Saturday.
Unionist politicians criticised the paramilitary display at the funeral in Londonderry on Saturday.
However, the PSNI has defended its position.
Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said there is “no one size fits all” approach and that decisions on “evidence gathering” are made on a case-by-case basis.
Confirming searches had taken place on Sunday into the paramilitary display, PSNI Chief Inspector Tony Callaghan said: “These searches follow a number of recent incidents linked to the wake and funeral of Peggy O’Hara.
“A number of items have been seized and police enquiries are ongoing.”
Detectives from the PSNI’ s Terrorist Investigation Unit based at Maydown are studying CCTV footage of the incidents to try and identify those behind the masks.
Peggy O’Hara’s grand daughter Ede Kelly has defended a paramilitary display at her funeral, saying it was what her grandmother wanted.
“She meant the world to me, to my sisters and my brothers as well and to a whole lot of people in Derry, because everyone knew Peggy O’Hara,” Ms Kelly said.
“My granny organised everything herself before her death, she wanted what happened at the wake and she wanted what happened at the funeral.”
Ms Kelly defended the paramilitary theme of the funeral and she also criticised deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
After the funeral, he had tweeted: “Honoured to attend Peggy O’Hara’s funeral Mass this morning. Masked men parading after did little to respect the memory of such a good woman.”
But Ms Kelly disagreed.
“I’m just speaking from my granny’s point of view because I knew what her feelings on Martin McGuinness were. He’s actually disrespecting her as the mother of a hunger striker.
“It’s something that my granny wanted. If he’s condemning that, then he’s condemning the wishes of my granny.
“If it happened in their tradition I would have no problem with that. Patsy O’Hara died. He gave his life for Ireland.”
DUP East Derry MP Gregory Campbell was critical of the police response at Mrs O’Hara’s funeral.
“Despite our efforts with the police, it would seem that there were no visible signs of police in close proximity to the funeral cortege on Saturday,” he said.
“Men and women dressed in paramilitary garb with faces covered were free to march, for almost two miles, around the streets of Londonderry.”
Edel Kelly believes her grandmother’s death is being used a political football.
“As we walked along from Longtower chapel, down past where we used to live in Ardfoyle where Peggy brought us up, everybody on Bishop Street came out and blessed themselves.
“We didn’t go through any contentious areas, it wasn’t about that. It was about honouring my granny and the suffering that she’s gone through all these years.
“They shouldn’t be bringing this into politics.”
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