MARTIN McGUINNESS HAS been accused of lying about his past by the son of an IRA victim, who confronted him today in Athlone.
Holding a picture of his father Patrick – who was killed in a 1983 shootout with the Provisional IRA – David Kelly accosted the presidential candidate as he canvassed the streets of the town.
After introducing himself, he said he believed McGuinness knew the identity of his father’s killers and called on him to name them. He then said that McGuinness was on the IRA’s Army Council at the time of the killing, in the incident captured in RTÉ News footage.
When McGuinness denied this, Mr Kelly replied “You’re a liar.” McGuinness told Mr Kelly “My sympathy is entirely with you,” but added: “This is in the past.”
Private Patrick Kelly, 35, was killed along with garda trainee Gary Sheehan near Ballinamore, Co Leitrim during an attempt to rescue supermarket boss Don Tidey who was being held by the IRA. Nobody has ever been convicted over the killing.
Mr Tidey was released after the incident.
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