Younger members want nothing to do with crime
LIMERICK’S feuding families are no more than a heartbeat away from signing a peace agreement to end the decades of violence that have profoundly affected housing estates and at times brought the entire city to its knees.
A four member group of highly esteemed professional people who have been co-ordinating the process, are now on the point of brokering a peace agreement that will be signed by leading members of the feuding families, representing some 300 people in all.
Talking exclusively to the Limerick Post, the group’s spokesperson said the first steps towards arriving at this pivotal stage were taken almost a year ago, and during that time, all but one of the families involved (that family is currently moving close towards the process) have gradually come forward and are now unified in their resolve to “end the violence and bury the guns”.
Asked about the underlying motivation for this conversion, and how can Limerick people be expected to accept its sincerity, the peace co-ordinator’s replied:
“The fact that there has been little or no violent criminal activity over the past months, and that this is being sustained, bears out what they say – that for the sake of their children they want to live in peace – their younger children want nothing to do with crime. They accept that justice has to follow and that if people are arrested, they have to face up to prison but they want it to end and to see their children grow up in peace. All involved, including grandparents, have had enough – they’ve all shaken hands with each other to end the feuds – they want to take their place in a regenerated city”.
Pointing out that the regeneration process has acted as a catalyst for the ‘conversion,” the peace brokering group say this has given a new impetus that the families now want to be part of.
“Let me be direct – they acknowledge the horrific deaths and crime and there is profound regret on all sides – one woman said; “we spend more time in graveyards than anywhere else”.
The families contend that certain elements of the Dublin media regularly write stories “focused on whipping up hysteria to maintain negative publicity which is driving an agenda of festering fear”.
This has motivated them to publicly state their commitment to end the war of violence.
“They have been driven berserk by some of the media reports from Dublin, many of which, they claim, have been untrue. We’ve been told that in one instance, a media report has been responsible for the murder of a number of people.- names were given that had nothing to do with it. They’ve felt that this element of the media has been setting the agenda, and they want to reverse this. The decommissioning of guns is also on their agenda.
“There is no one trying to cloud the truth here. We accept there will be glitches but we have engaged in this process for almost a year, with very positive results, and now the families have asked that their side be made known and they have no other voice than ours.
“They acknowledge the horrific vista that lots of people find themselves in but are determined that it will end. They, including their family members who are in prison, now firmly believe that the warfare, crime and killings have to end and that to work hard into the future is the only way to save the next generations of people in this city”.
