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| Funeral for murdered NI policeman | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The funeral of the police officer murdered by dissident republicans in County Armagh is under way. | The funeral of the police officer murdered by dissident republicans in County Armagh is under way. |
| Constable Stephen Carroll, 48, was shot while on duty in Craigavon on Monday. | Constable Stephen Carroll, 48, was shot while on duty in Craigavon on Monday. |
| The funeral mass is being held in his home town of Banbridge, County Down, where thousands of people lined the streets outside the church. | The funeral mass is being held in his home town of Banbridge, County Down, where thousands of people lined the streets outside the church. |
| In his homily, Canon Liam Stevenson said the murder and that of two soldiers were meant to "destabilise" Northern Ireland's peace process. | In his homily, Canon Liam Stevenson said the murder and that of two soldiers were meant to "destabilise" Northern Ireland's peace process. |
| The cortege left Constable Carroll's home, led by a lone piper and flanked by police officers. | The cortege left Constable Carroll's home, led by a lone piper and flanked by police officers. |
| It carried wreaths which said brother, son and uncle. The coffin was draped in a Police Service of Northern Ireland flag. | It carried wreaths which said brother, son and uncle. The coffin was draped in a Police Service of Northern Ireland flag. |
| In St Therese Church Constable Carroll's police cap, gloves and medals were placed on a table next to his coffin along with a Manchester United shirt. | In St Therese Church Constable Carroll's police cap, gloves and medals were placed on a table next to his coffin along with a Manchester United shirt. |
| "We certainly do not want to lose the peace. We will not lose the peace," Canon Stevenson said. | |
| "The word patriotism has been used in many different ways by many different people down the years. Tragically this word is one of the most abused words in the English language. | "The word patriotism has been used in many different ways by many different people down the years. Tragically this word is one of the most abused words in the English language. |
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| "A perfectly laudable aspiration such as patriotism is robbed of its intrinsic value when it's allied to violence and death in pursuit of its objectives." | "A perfectly laudable aspiration such as patriotism is robbed of its intrinsic value when it's allied to violence and death in pursuit of its objectives." |
| Senior police officers from the UK and Ireland, including PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde and An Garda Siochána Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, are attending the funeral mass. | Senior police officers from the UK and Ireland, including PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde and An Garda Siochána Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, are attending the funeral mass. |
| Also in attendance are local political leaders, including a delegation from Sinn Féin, joined by Secretary of State Shaun Woodward and the most senior Army officer in Northern Ireland, Brigadier George Norton. | Also in attendance are local political leaders, including a delegation from Sinn Féin, joined by Secretary of State Shaun Woodward and the most senior Army officer in Northern Ireland, Brigadier George Norton. |
| Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon, whose late husband Jack was an RUC chief constable, sat next to John O'Dowd from Sinn Féin. | Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon, whose late husband Jack was an RUC chief constable, sat next to John O'Dowd from Sinn Féin. |
| Speaking on Thursday, Mr Carroll's widow Kate said: "I feel now that I'm dead inside." | Speaking on Thursday, Mr Carroll's widow Kate said: "I feel now that I'm dead inside." |
| Addressing her husband's killers she asked them to realise "that a piece of land is a piece of land". | |
| "At the end of the day my husband's just going to get six foot by six foot and that's all any of us are going to get," she said. | "At the end of the day my husband's just going to get six foot by six foot and that's all any of us are going to get," she said. |
| It was the first murder of a police officer in Northern Ireland since 1998, as well as the first time that a PSNI officer had been murdered by paramilitaries since the force was formed in 2001. | It was the first murder of a police officer in Northern Ireland since 1998, as well as the first time that a PSNI officer had been murdered by paramilitaries since the force was formed in 2001. |
| The Continuity IRA said it carried out the murder. | The Continuity IRA said it carried out the murder. |
| Two days before Constable Carroll's murder, two soldiers were shot dead by the Real IRA at Massereene barracks in Antrim. | Two days before Constable Carroll's murder, two soldiers were shot dead by the Real IRA at Massereene barracks in Antrim. |
| Mrs Carroll said that he had talked about the increasing level of violence before he left for work on Monday. | Mrs Carroll said that he had talked about the increasing level of violence before he left for work on Monday. |
| "They have robbed my son of his father, my grandkids of their grandfather, my mum of her son. And me of my life," she said. | "They have robbed my son of his father, my grandkids of their grandfather, my mum of her son. And me of my life," she said. |
| The three murders sparked widespread revulsion in Northern Ireland, with thousands of people from all communities attending peace vigils on Wednesday. | The three murders sparked widespread revulsion in Northern Ireland, with thousands of people from all communities attending peace vigils on Wednesday. |
| Police have been granted an extension until Tuesday to continue questioning two people, a youth aged 17 and a man aged 37, about Constable Carroll's murder. | Police have been granted an extension until Tuesday to continue questioning two people, a youth aged 17 and a man aged 37, about Constable Carroll's murder. |