Murder of Ronan Kerr
Encyclopedia
Police Constable Ronan Kerr was a Police Service of Northern Ireland
officer killed by a booby-trap car bomb planted outside his home on the 2 April 2011 in Killyclogher
near Omagh
. Responsibility for the attack was later claimed by dissident republican
s claiming the mantle of the Provisional IRA and separate from other dissident republican groups.
Kerr was Roman Catholic, a group which at the time constituted approximately 30% of PSNI officers (a proportion recruitment policies were trying to increase), and was 25 at the time of the murder. He was a member of a Gaelic Athletic Association
club, the Beragh Red Knights. The guard of honour at Kerr's funeral was formed of club members and PSNI officers, a funeral also attended by the leaders of Ireland's four main churches.
politics and society as well as bringing international condemnation. On the 6th April a Peace Rally was organised in Belfast
by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
, which was reported to have been attended by up to 7000 persons. Similar events were held in Omagh, Enniskillen
, and London
.
BBC Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson
commented, in relation to the unified response of the community, "A murder designed to divide people has actually brought them closer together."
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
officer killed by a booby-trap car bomb planted outside his home on the 2 April 2011 in Killyclogher
Killyclogher
Killyclogher is a village on the outskirts of the town of Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is also a townland and an electoral ward of Omagh District Council...
near Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
. Responsibility for the attack was later claimed by dissident republican
Dissident republican
The term dissident republican or anti-ceasefire republican is used to describe Irish republicans who do not support the current peace agreements in Ireland. Some dispute the validity of both parliaments on the island The term dissident republican or anti-ceasefire republican is used to describe...
s claiming the mantle of the Provisional IRA and separate from other dissident republican groups.
Kerr was Roman Catholic, a group which at the time constituted approximately 30% of PSNI officers (a proportion recruitment policies were trying to increase), and was 25 at the time of the murder. He was a member of a Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club, the Beragh Red Knights. The guard of honour at Kerr's funeral was formed of club members and PSNI officers, a funeral also attended by the leaders of Ireland's four main churches.
Reaction
His murder was condemned by almost all sections of Northern IrishNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
politics and society as well as bringing international condemnation. On the 6th April a Peace Rally was organised in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Irish Congress of Trade Unions
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions , formed in 1959 by the merger of the Irish Trade Union Congress and the Congress of Irish Unions , is a national trade union centre, the umbrella organisation to which trade unions in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland affiliate.-Influence:There...
, which was reported to have been attended by up to 7000 persons. Similar events were held in Omagh, Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
, and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
BBC Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson
Mark Simpson (Ireland correspondent)
Mark Simpson is a journalist who has been the BBC's Ireland Correspondent since summer 2008.-Career:Simpson originally began his journalistic career for a series of Northern Irish newspapers — The News Letter, The Irish News, and The Belfast Telegraph — after graduating in 1988 from Queens...
commented, in relation to the unified response of the community, "A murder designed to divide people has actually brought them closer together."