In Ireland

The Victims and Survivors Trust

MURDER SITE... a crowd protests against loyalist murders outside the Clifton Tavern where Eddie Treanor was shot dead on new year's eve

YOUNG PROTEST... a young girl takes part in last nights protest

Pictures: Hugh Russell

Irish News Tuesday January 13th 1998

Hundreds at protest over recent killings

By Louise McCall

HUNDREDS of people marked their disgust at recent sectarian killings last night outside a north Belfast bar where LVF murder victim Edmund Treanor was murdered and five others injured on new year's eve.

Mr Treanor's family did not attend the protest, but were informed about it.

Brendan Bradley of Survivors of Trauma said the protest was organised so the community could vent their anger in a positive way at the killings and show solidarity for families who have lost loved ones.

"We had been thinking for some time that there has to be some way for people to express their disgust at what has happening - the slaughter on the streets.

"And it is also for people to show their solidarity for those people who have lost loved ones, and direct their anger in a positive way.

"The killing of Terry Enright, a community worker, has hit the community hard, and the rally, while it has not been an organised one, was a knee jerk response to his killing, which was senseless."

Feelings among the community were evident - when a number of RUC officers approached the crowd before the speeches the crowd started chanting 'SS RUC, SS RUC'.

The officers withdrew and speakers addressed the crowd, including families of loyalist murder victims.

Mr Bradley, who has lost three family members, said he hoped that the rally was the start of something good.

"Hopefully this is a start of a process, a start of people coming onto the streets and showing their support for people who are trying to make a peaceful way forward instead of what we have as a result of what happened in this bar on new year's eve and what has happened over the years.

"We are calling for loyalists to stop the killing. This must end and peace must be given a chance. It has got to end - all violence."

Community worker Maura Fryers lent her weight to the call for violence to end, saying the death of LVF murder victim Terry Enright was "a needless tragedy that should never have happened".

Mr Enright, she said, "believed in young people no matter what colour or creed they belonged to and made no exceptions when enhancing the lives of these young people.

"His relationship with young people was built on trust and respect, and a genuine concern for everyone he worked with."

She said it was her hope that Mr Enright's example "becomes a reality in Northern Ireland, where people are treated with equal respect".

Mr Enright, she added, had worked with over 800 young people during the last six months, including helping some complete a Duke of Edinburgh scheme.

The community, she added, were shocked at the death of Mr Enright's who "played a very important part in shaping the lives of future generations - the perfect role model for all young people, Protestant and Catholic".

The widow of Gerard Slane, gunned down by the UFF at his home in 1988, criticised the recent actions of loyalist politicians "threatening that their ceasefire would break if the government didn't act", while Catholics were being murdered.

"Yesterday after the brutal murder of Terry Enright I watched as David Ervine cried his crocodile tears of how terrible it was. What a difference a few days makes.

"Was this the same David Ervine who was threatening all sorts of consequences if his organisation did not get their own way."

"Does David Ervine really think that it matters to us who pulls the trigger? Does he believe that the murders carried out by the LVF are any worse than ones committed by the UDA and UVF? The misery and heartbreak inflicted on the families is just the same."

Mrs Slane also criticised the media for using the buzzword "retaliation" in relation to recent sectarian killings.

"One could be forgiven for thinking that loyalists have not killed anyone before the death of Billy Wright."

The British government, she said, must face up to their responsibilities.

"They cannot continue to enforce the Mitchell principles in regard to Sinn Fein but totally disregard them when they are continually broken by loyalists because when loyalists speak about a return to war we, the nationalist community know only to well what that means.

"It means shooting young girls as they sleep, it means killing teenage boys and dumping their bodies with dead animals. It means leaving children without fathers and mothers to struggle all alone."

Irish News Tuesday January 13th 1998

Colleagues pay tribute to their 'great friend'

By Niall Blaney

THERE were pictures of him everywhere.

Patricia Coyle was close to tears as she pointed to Terry Enright in dozens of photographs on the wall.

The father-of-two was pictured climbing and canoeing with some of the many young people whose lives he influenced - his face brandishing his trademark smile in every snap.

"He was one in a million," said Patricia. The 24-year-old was Terry's assistant at the Upper Springfield Development Trust in the Turf Lodge area of west Belfast.

"I was very honoured and privileged to have known him. He was a great friend and they will never know what they have taken away from us."

An atmosphere of numb despair gripped staff at the trust yesterday, where Terry - gunned down by the LVF on Saturday night - worked as an outdoor pursuits team leader.

Maria Robinson (20) said the youth of the surrounding community looked up to Terry as a role model.

"They wanted to be like him when they grew up. We often had to chase kids away from the door who came asking: 'Where's Terry, where's Terry?'

"He was always positive, he never judged anybody and always seen the good, no matter how bad the situation and tried to make things better."

She said staff had been walking around like "zombies", adding: "It just hasn't sunk in yet. He will be greatly missed on both sides of the community."

Those at the trust said the 28-year-old had helped keep young people out of the bloody clutches of the paramilitaries on both sides.

He regularly brought youngsters mountain climbing, abseiling and camping.

"He was very positive about kids and didn't care what they did before. Terry treated them as equal individuals," said 25-year-old outdoor pursuits trainee Thomas Toland. "He also encouraged people to take a greater role within their own community."

Outreach worker Kevin McKenna said much of the murdered man's work was concentrated on cross-community development.

"Within that it was mostly young people who came from different backgrounds and in which they were basically fodder for paramilitaries. Terry tried to gear his work to getting young people to look away from that aspect of their lives.

"He definitely kept them out of the paramilitaries. You only have to look at some of our own trainees and volunteers, and in other organisations, to see that they only got into outdoor pursuits because of Terry."

He said his murder would only strengthen the resolve of trust staff to carry through Terry's vision "to see peace and for people to live side by side".

"Obviously his death has taken something away from what we hope to achieve... not only has this been a big loss to the project but also to the community as a whole. This has been shown by the sympathy expressed to his family from both sides of the community. The phone hasn't stopped today with calls from organisations on the other side of the community."

One other worker described him as a "gentleman". "I never once met him when he wasn't smiling," she said.

Today, many of those young people who Terry influenced will hold a vigil in his memory.

Children and young people from the Springfield area and Newhill Youth and Community Group will read poems at the vigil which will be held at 4pm outside his home on the Whiterock Road. Father Des Wilson will lead prayers.

BITTER BLOW... Terry's workmates Thomas Toland and Kevin McKenna

Picture: Ann McManus

FLORAL TRIBUTE... a red rose from Deirdre Enright to her husband Terry at the spot where the popular community worker was murdered on Saturday night

Picture: Ann McManus

Irish News Tuesday January 13th 1998

Owner tells of husband's attack escape

By Steven McCaffery

A RELATIVE of the PUP's David Ervine narrowly escaped death in the LVF shooting which claimed the life of Catholic father of two Terry Enright.

Margaret Campbell, a sister-in-law of the PUP spokesman and owner of Space nightclub where the shooting took place, yesterday told how her husband felt a bullet pass through his hair as the gunmen opened fire.

Maynard Campbell was standing shoulder to shoulder with doorman Terry Enright when his killers struck.

As Mr Enright was gunned down at his side, Mrs Campbell said her husband felt a bullet narrowly miss his head.

Condemning the attack Mrs Campbell said the killers would "without a doubt" have known of the club's link to David Ervine - a link that led her to speak of her own family's feelings of "guilt".

Last night Mrs Campbell was due to visit Mr Enright's widow Deirdre and his daughters Ciara (5) and Aoife (1) at their home at Dermot Hill Road off the Whiterock Road in west Belfast.

Yesterday she offered them her "heartfelt" sympathy.

"Terry was more than an employee, he was a friend," Mrs Campbell said.

"I would defy anyone who ever met him not to like him.

"He was just a super person. Everyone liked him - he was nice to anyone he met and it didn't matter who they were or what their religion was."

Mr Enright, a doorman at the Space nightclub, was shot dead on Saturday night in a killing later claimed by the LVF.

Mrs Campbell said her family was devastated by the murder and insisted the killers had also planned to embarrass the PUP's David Ervine.

"My thoughts on it are that if they were planning to kill a doorman in the city centre it would have come into their thinking," she said.

"It would be a bonus to them.

"They would be killing two birds with one stone."

Paying tribute to Mr Enright, she said he insisted on standing out on the street when he worked, despite the risk of attack.

"He knew the risks, but he was not afraid," she said.

"It was a mild night on Saturday night and all the men were outside the door. I went out to see if anyone wanted a cuppa, but they were all listening to Terry telling a story. He was in full flow.

"My husband was out the front with him when it happened.

"A taxi pulled up and some girls got out, so most of the fellows moved inside. Next thing a car pulled up behind the taxi.

"My husband and Terry were shoulder to shoulder when the shooting started.

"One of the bullets passed through my husband's hair."

She added: "We feel guilty because it was our club. He (Mr Enright) didn't have to be there. We just feel guilty. Because of who I am related to, it cost Terry his life..."

Mrs Campbell said the nightclub at Talbot Street near St Anne's cathedral employs Catholics and Protestants "at all levels" and attracted young people from both communities.

Attacking Mr Enright's killers, she said: "These people don't want peace.

"They don't like the idea of Catholics and Protestants enjoying themselves together. It is just too much for them."

For business reasons it is unlikely the nightclub will close as a mark of respect. Mrs Campbell said "sheer stubbornness" meant her family was also reluctant to let the killers cause any further disruption.

In a statement Mr and Mrs Campbell said they were devastated by the killing.

"Our family has been totally devastated by the senseless killing of Mr Terry Enright," it read.

"We are angry and frustrated that this fine man was so brutally murdered. Terry was more than an employee, he had become a friend and was free from the type of hatred displayed by those who killed him.

"Our aim has always been to achieve a neutral environment, where young people could enjoy the music and dance scene, free from the bitterness which permeates this sick society.

"Our staff recruitment policy will continue to reflect this.

"Our thoughts are with Deirdre and her children at this time and our heartfelt sympathy and prayers are with them."

Irish News Tuesday January 13th 1998

Tributes reach record numbers

AN UNPRECEDENTED number of death notices were placed in today's Irish News in tribute to the high regard with which Terry Enright was held.

More than 150 notices from a succession of cross-community groups, youth clubs, community groups and sporting associations demonstrated the affection with which Mr Enright viewed.

His funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon with his remains leaving his Whiterock Road home for 1pm Requiem Mass in the Holy Trinity Church with burial immediately afterwards in the City Cemetery.

The murder was last night condemned by Workers Party spokesman Paddy Lynn as "an act of sickening sectarianism".

Mr Lynn said those who carried out the act were simply interested in satisfying a blood lust and creating sectarian confrontation.

DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson also condemned the murder and said it added to the long list of killings which have brought nothing but anguish and misery to the people of Northern Ireland.

Secretary of State Mo Mowlam has vowed to bring the LVF killers to justice.

Mo Mowlam met RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan and British army commander Lt-General Sir Rupert Smith yesterday to review the security situation.

"The callous murder of Terry Enright as well as other brutal incidents over the weekend are harsh reminders of the need for constant vigilance to counter crime and terrorism," she said.