RIRA, RIRA pants on fire!

The Ballymena Times carries a story regarding dropped charges for possession of bombs by Real IRA members. These characters have been involved in various activities around Ballymena in recent years and really do conform to the stereotype of lowlife thuggery which dissident republicanism brings to mind.

The story includes several eyebrow raising details, not least of which is the revelation that when the house containing incendiary devices was raided the defendants allegedly hid them down their trousers. Is that a bomb down your trousers or are you just pleased to see me?

There have been suggestions that the thug at the centre of the case, Paddy Murray, is being protected and may be an informer within the group. Of course Sinn Fein’s Daithi McKay interprets this as a “securocrat” plot to sabotage the peace process! Old habits die hard (your party are on the policing boards Daithi).

Certainly there should be concerns that such a risible group cannot simply be rounded up and put in prison.

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