Dissident republican terror group the ‘New IRA’ shot dead journalist Lyra McKee in Derry, says senior detective
The 29-year-old was callously shot dead by dissident republicans in Derry on Thursday.
Her funeral service will take place in St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast at 1 pm tomorrow, Wednesday, April 24.
The service will be led jointly by Dean of St Anne’s Stephen Forde and Catholic priest, Fr Martin Magill.
Irish Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney will also attend the funeral.
Ms McKee, who was also a published author, was shot when a gunman opened fire on police during rioting in the Creggan area of Derry on 18 April.
Her partner, Sara Canning, told a vigil in the city on Friday that they had planned to grow old together.
She said Ms McKee’s senseless murder had left her family without a beloved daughter, sister, aunt and great-aunt and “left me without the love of my life”.
Ms Cannin
Lyra McKee’s partner Sara Canning paid an emotional tribute to the journalist at vigil on Friday in Derry. Pic By Joe Boland North West newspix
Ms McKee rose to prominence in 2014 after a blog post called “Letter to my 14-year-old self” in which she spoke about the struggle of growing up gay in Belfast.
In the five years since, her letter was turned into a short film, she became a published author with Angels With Blue Faces, and had recently signed a two-book deal with Faber & Faber, as well as appearing in domestic and international publications.
Named as one of the “30 under 30 in media” by Forbes Magazine in 2016, Ms McKee was cited for her passion of “dig(ging) into topics that others don’t care about”.
A vigil marking will be held this evening, Tuesday, April 23, at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin at 6 pm.
It is being organised by the National Union of Journalists.
Leading NUJ official in Ireland Seamus Dooley said: “With music, song and words of Lyra we will celebrate her and declare that Lyra should be the last victim of senseless violence in Northern Ireland.”
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