No going back to those dark days

Ronan Kerr was an idealistic young Roman Catholic from Omagh in Northern Ireland. He joined the Northern Ireland Police Service to make a difference, believing that the province had moved from the dark days of sectarianism to a bright future.

Kerr was blown to pieces on Saturday as he started his car, killed by bombers who are determined to return Northern Ireland to sectarian and political violence. For three decades, violence by Republicans, Loyalists and the actions of security forces, led to more than 3,000 deaths in Ulster, ripping communities and families apart.

Under an accord, both Protestants and Catholic politicians share power, building a province that Kerr could believe in. There can be no going back to those dark days. The Real IRA is misled, misguided and mistaken in its belief that violence is the way forward. Violence has been rightly and roundly rejected by all.