Robert McCartney was murdered by members of the IRA in January 2005; he died after being stabbed in the street outside bar in Belfast, near to the Markets area.
IRA members were involved but there was nothing political about this murder. Robert was killed in the aftermath of a bar fight in which he tried to defend his friend. Nevertheless, IRA members frantically cleaned the scene, to destroy forensic evidence, and tried to cover up the crime.
Robert McCartney was killed by members of his own community, people he knew, people he would even have been friendly with.
Like many other murders, the IRA might have hoped that it would eventually blow over. But it did not go away. It became an international news story, and a massive political problem for Sinn Féin.
That is because Robert’s sisters, born and reared in Belfast’s Short Strand, were determined to fight for truth and justice – they refused to let it lie.
Suzanne Breen spoke to Paula and Catherine about their campaign for justice and Robert’s legacy.
This podcast was originally broadcast in March 2023.
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The murder of Robert McCartney, the IRA cover-up, and his sisters’ fight for justice
