In Ireland

The Victims and Survivors Trust

Aoife waits for daddy... too young to understand

LOST INNOCENCE... Aoife Enright (1) stands at the front door of her home hours after her father Terry was shot dead Picture: Brendan Murphy

Irish News Monday January 12th 1998

Wife brands killers 'gutless cowards'

By Brendan O'Hara

THE wife of murdered Belfast community worker Terry Enright has branded his killers "gutless cowards".

Speaking last night, Deirdre Enright said her husband was murdered because he was a nationalist and a Catholic.

She said Terry - gunned down by the LVF on Saturday night - had worked "tirelessly for many years to bring about peace, community harmony and a better life for all, especially young people" - unlike his killers.

"He was a loving husband and a kind and gentle father to our two children... it is a fitting tribute to Terry that he genuinely cared about and believed in advancing the lives of young people whatever their problems or background".

Mr Enright died after he was shot outside the Space nightclub on Talbot Street beside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast city centre.

The 28-year-old father of Ciara (5) and Aoife (2), from Dermot Hill Road off the Whiterock Road in west Belfast, was a doorman at the club.

The Loyalist Volunteer Force claimed responsibility for his murder: "An active service unit of the Belfast brigade of the LVF carried out last night's attack in Belfast in which a leading IRA man was shot dead. This is in direct response for the murder of Billy Wright two weeks ago.

"The LVF once again calls on the Irish government to drop Articles 2 & 3 of the constitution which is an illegal claim over Northern Ireland and to stop interfering in the north.

"The LVF are not against peace, but not peace at any price."

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, who is an uncle of Mrs Enright, led condemnation of the murder.

He said: "The tragedy of British rule in our country and of those who resist change is very much an issue for my family at this time.

"Terry Enright was married to my niece, he was a valued member of this community. He leaves two small children.

"I know it's important for you to reflect the fact that this young man was married to a niece of mine - that should not be used as any excuse for killing him.

"He was heavily involved in community affairs with young people. He was a good, he probably thought a brilliant, gaelic footballer," said Mr Adams.

Mr Enright was a community worker in the Turf Lodge area of west Belfast.

Sinn Fein's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness and party colleague councillor Alex Maskey expressed their sympathy to the young man's family.

"The tragedy of all of this is that we are seeing within the talks process unionists refusing to negotiate, whilst outside the talks process Catholics are being murdered," Mr McGuinness said.

Dr Joe Hendron, a senior talks negotiator for the SDLP and former MP for West Belfast, said:"This was a brutal and cowardly murder, I'd like to send deepest sympathy to the Enright family. They've done enormous work for the whole community."

The nightclub where Mr Enright worked is owned by a sister-in-law of David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party, the political wing of the UVF.

Yesterday Mr Ervine described Mr Enright as "a fine young man".

He said: "A fine young man has lost his life, caused by some obscure group of head cases receiving political direction from anonymous but seemingly respectable politicians in order to damage my political philosophies and attitudes."

Billy Hutchinson of the Progressive Unionist Party first met Mr Enright seven years ago through community work.

"He (Terry Enright) just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time because there could have been no political motive to target him," said Mr Hutchinson.

"Terry's job was to ensure his peers didn't get into any trouble and this is how he was rewarded. I just can't believe it," added Mr. Hutchinson.

Yesterday morning the spot where the 28-year-old man fell was marked by a pool of blood partially washed away with a bucket of water.

Two bunches of flowers were placed on the Space club's door stating: "Terry - thanks for everything, we will always remember you. We'll miss you."

Gort na Mona GAC where Mr Enright was a member also released a statement deploring the murder of their most talented player.

The club said: "We as a club will never be able to fill the great void caused by this tragic senseless death."

Irish News Monday January 12th 1998

Gun victim 'was role model'

Concern over how murder will affect young people

By Brendan O'Hara

TERRY ENRIGHT was looked upon as a "hero" by the young people he worked with, the head of the organisation which employed him said yesterday.

Geraldine McAteer, chief executive of the Upper Springfield Development Trust, said she was concerned at how these young people would feel after Mr Enright's murder.

Expressing her sympathy to Mr Enright's family, Ms McAteer said he would be greatly missed.

Mr Enright had been employed as an outdoor pursuits team leader by the trust for the past year. Before joining the trust he set up a major cross-community programme in north Belfast.

"Terry was a huge positive role model for the young men in particular," Ms McAteer said.

"He was a young man who had a lot of vision and was completely non-sectarian. He had a lot to contribute to his community.

"He was an accomplished athlete who headed up our outdoor pursuits team. As team leader he displayed solid leadership skills and pursued his job with energy and commitment."

Ms McAteer said Terry Enright's talent was in working with young people who were marginalised and on the periphery of anti-social activity.

"He related very well with these people. He motivated them and built their self-confidence. He taught them skills and taught them to see themselves as valued members of the community."

The trust's chief executive said that although Mr Enright's life had been cut short, he had accomplished a great deal and had positively touched the lives of many people.

Mr Enright set up a youth programme which developed young people's skills in outdoor pursuits, sports, arts and environment projects. He drew on his own sporting abilities for the programme.

Brother Malcolm Crummey, principal of St Aidan's Christian Brothers Primary School, coached Mr Enright in hurling and football in his primary school days.

He remembered the LVF murder victim as a "cheerful and conscientious individual".

Speaking to the Irish News from Dublin yesterday, Brother Crummey said he was very sorry to hear of the young man's death.

"I would have nothing but the highest praise for Terry Enright," he said.

"He was the type of individual who took great pride in the schools he went to and never forgot his roots."

As a member of St Agnes's Boxing Club in the 80s, Sean Canavan remembered Terry as a talented youngster.

"We were very disappointed when he left the sport. He was an all-rounder and excellent at every sport he took up," Mr Canavan said.

"I don't ever remember him losing a fight."

Olympic medalist Jim McCourt worked with Sean Canavan in coaching the young lads at St Agnes's. Terry Enright won medals at boys' club and Co Antrim level.

"He was a very strong lad and very intelligent," said Sean Canavan, "Unfortunately he was good at everything and left boxing to concentrate on soccer and football."

Mr Enright played football and hurling for the Gort na Mona club in Turf Lodge.

His brother Liam was a member of the Co Antrim football panel but had to pull out earlier this season because of knee ligament damage.

Another of the Enright family, Niall, plays for the Linfield Swifts team.

GRIEVING FAMILY... West Belfast MP Gerry Adams holds LVF murder victim Terry Enright's daughter Aoife, beside him is the dead man's father Terry Enright senior Picture: Brendan Murphy

SPORTS FANATIC... the young Terry Enright pictured with the football team of Saint Aidan's Primary School on Belfast's Whiterock Road

Irish News Monday January 12th 1998

Terry Senior is top green campaigner

LVF murder victim Terry Enright's father Terry Enright senior is also a well-known community worker in west Belfast.

Mr Enright is best known for his involvement in the Black Mountain Environmental Group, which campaigns to stop the quarrying of the west Belfast nature resource, as well as seeking to encourage wildlife diversity and eco-management of the area.

He also works for other cross-community organisations and during the west Belfast festival he leads people on tours of the Belfast hills.

Mr Enright has led the Black Mountain group as chairman and has been vocal in his calls for better management of the area for open space-starved west Belfast.

Mr Enright has also blamed dust from the quarrying for higher than normal rates of asthma in the deprived area.

In the past Mr Enright has said "the destruction of the Belfast hills is an issue which has united the people of Belfast".

Murder will prove nothing

EVERY decent person in this society will have been appalled by the murder of Terry Enright.

He was a community worker who had dedicated his life to improving the lot of others.

Those who gunned him down have made our society poorer as a result of their actions. They are beneath contempt.

Often people focus on the divisions in Northern Ireland, and speak as if there are impenetrable barriers between people from different traditions.

Mr Enright's life nails that particular lie. His life crossed the sectarian divide. Although from the nationalist community, the club where he was working when he died was owned by the sister-in-law of a loyalist politician.

He was a relative, by marriage, of the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.

Progressive Unionist Billy Hutchinson, a close personal friend, said he was "gutted" by the killing. His murder was strongly condemned by loyalist politicians as well as nationalists.

And that is how it should be.

None of us in this country has anything to gain from the deaths of people such as Mr Enright.

It is crucial that those in positions of power do everything they can to remove the conditions which allow those who carried out this murder to thrive.

It is also incumbent upon anyone who has any information which could lead to the killers' arrest to help the police bring them to justice.

As for political leaders: they must do more than condemn this latest atrocity. They must use it as a spur to their deliberations which begin today.

It is the responsibility of constitutional politicians to demonstrate that democracy works. That is the only way of wresting the initiative from the gunmen.