Provisional IRA urged to disband

A leading Derry republican has called on the Provisional IRA to disband.

Gary Donnelly, a key figure in the 32 County Sovereignty Committee - the political wing of the 'Real IRA' - said he supported "armed opposition" to British rule in Ireland. "It's legitimate," he said.

In an interview with a national Sunday newspaper, the Creggan native, who was an unsuccessful independent candidate in the Derry City Council elections in 2005, added: "There shouldn't be a Provisional IRA anymore. What is its function? It was set up to fight the British in Ireland. It shouldn't exist if it's not upholding the IRA's constitution."

He said that the organisation had been "knocked for six" by the Sinn Féin leadership. "Remember what they said: 'Not a bullet, Not an ounce'. Many republicans now realise they were conned."

And Mr. Donnelly said he believes that the Real IRA and Continuity IRA "should unite" in armed struggle. "It is the obvious thing for them to do. There is strength in unity.

"I would love to see republicanism united. It would be more logical to have one group which would be more effective than two."

Mr. Donnelly was among those arrested and interrogated following the shooting of a PSNI man in November.

He accused the PSNI in Derry of breaking his arm during an "vicious and unprovoked assault" more than week afterwards.

Meanwhile, it was reported on Tuesday that the Continuity IRA fired shots over the grave of Kerryman Dan Keating to mark his 106th birthday.

In a statement sent to the media, the Continuity IRA said that its members had fired a volley of shots over the grave in Kiltallagh Cemetery, outside Castlemaine village in County Kerry earlier this month.

Dan Keating, patron of Republican Sinn Féin, died last October at the age of 105.he was the last survivor of the War of Independence, a long-time IRA activist, former Republican prisoner and was involved in the Republican Movement for a period of 90 years.

The statement said: "In honouring this life-long Republican, the CIRA wish to restate that the armed struggle against British occupation continues despite the sell-out and surrender by some former Republicans who now administer British rule in Ireland". It added that there would be no CIRA ceasefire and that "military operations" would be intensified.

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