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Dublin: 10 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

Murdered prison officer’s funeral takes place today

David Black was shot dead near Belfast as he drove along the motorway to work on Thursday.

Image: PSNI

THE FUNERAL OF murdered prison officer David Black will take place today at his local church in Co Tyrone.

David’s wife, Yvonne, son, Kyle and daughter, Kyra will lead mourners as the 52-year-old is laid to rest.

A private family service from the Black family home will start at 11.45am followed by a church service at Molesworth Presbyterian Church, Cookstown at 1pm. Mr Black will then be buried in Kildress Parish Churchyard.

The father of two was fatally shot as he drove to work at Maghaberry jail when a car with Dublin registration plates pulled up alongside his on Northern Ireland’s main M1 motorway and opened fire. His car veered off the road and into a deep ditch, and he died at the scene.

A car thought to be linked to the shooting was found burnt-out in Lurgan later that day.

PSNI examine the scene of shooting on the M1 motorway. Image: Peter Morrison/AP/Press Association Images.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness wanted to attend Mr Black’s funeral, but the family did not want to have any Sinn Fein representatives there.

Police said the attack had the hallmarks of dissident republicans opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process, while politicians from all sides in London, Belfast and Dublin condemned the killing.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also condemned the “senseless murder” denouncing it as an “outrageous and cowardly act.”

Three people arrested in connection with the incident have been released without charge. One of those was high-profile Republican Colin Duffy. He has now threatened to sue the PSNI for unlawful arrest, the Irish News has revealed.

Additional reporting © AFP, 2012

Read: Two men arrested in David Black murder probe released without charge >

Read: Hillary Clinton calls killing of David Black “outrageous and cowardly act” >

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Comments (20 Comments)

  • RIP….

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  • Rip officer black. I hope his family get the support they need.

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  • My condolences to the Black family.

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  • Regrettable that the Black family could not accept Sinn Fein’s condemnation and allow Mr. Guinness to attend the funeral.

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    • @seamus – I am totally 100% in agreement with you.
      No matter what the people of Ireland or continual terrorists think of McGuinness and Adams, They HAVE been a major part of the bringing of peace to the 6 of the 9 Irish counties of Ulster, and fought through the thick and thin in the last couple of years to get splinter groups to lay down their arms.
      I am in no way a member of Sinn Féin and I don’t agree with a percentage of their party politics, But, I must admit that I find it appalling that the family (although hurting) would disallow the now political members who condemned such an act when it was callously carried out late last week.
      Was it an all orange affair? Or were there members of any other Irish political party in attendance?
      Sláinte.

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  • The reprehensible killing of the Prison Officer in the North of Ireland should be condemned by all people. One cannot imagine the horror his family is going through. Unfortunately the issue of prisoners’ being badly treated in the Northern prisons while no excuse does not help the situation and unfortunately the three Governments the Northern, Southern and British Governments who are burying their heads in the sand on this issue and other issues concerning political progress and where there is a vacuum we all too familiar as to what happens. Listening to the nauseating words from Martin Mc Guinness and then this morning on RTE’s Morning Ireland programme the new Northern Secretary Ms Theresa Villiers was out of her depth is answering questions regarding the killing. She was pushing everything onto the Northern Executive which as we know is not enough. It is time for all three parties to sort out the mess in the North and deal with the current political impasse

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    • Treated like we treat them in the the south. Give them vast open prison, holiday homes and all the music and craic and visitors tge want on the E3 wing? Or lock them up ib the normal prison population as they are murderers? Im going to have to go with the norths approch. They dont like being seeing as criminals and thats all they are. Making pipe bombs to leave on the streets of ireland. Remembee that child in wicklow that got its hands and face blown off by pipe bomb. Yes that was these heroes. Lets sing songs and praise these bastards.

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  • This glorification of Loyalist thugs make me sick.

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  • Gerard 06/11/12 #

    Brits out give Ireland back to the Irish

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  • Mandy 16/11/12 #

    This is so typical of this country and the difficulties that we face and will continue to face until people learn to truly forgive and actually try to reconcile. Gerard, Caroline,Alan why bother even commenting on this story if all you want to do it bicker and poke at each other. David Black was shot and killed because of his job, it was wrong, needless, it achieved nothing other than adding another victim to the body count. You should either express your condolences for this man and his family or say nothing.

    Do you really hate people because of their religion, job, or which side of the border they come from?

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  • Gerard – for god and ulster , you live in Ireland stay there Northern Ireland is British and it will stay British not you or any of your CREW can do notting to change that !!

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  • Caroline – wise up its the dissents going about killing people who z anything about loylist ?? There doing your so called “CAUSE” no good anyway, sure every1 no’s that it’s British it will stay British and it will be British forever

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    • Alan repeating slogans doesn’t make it so. The democratic will of the people of all sides will decide what happens in the North. To make foolish statements like ” its British and will always be British” is childish. There are people in Scotland that would have never dreamt that there would ever be a referendum to leave the Union but guess What! there is. You have no idea what lays in the future so save the inflammatory statements for your buddies.

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    • If part of Ireland stays occupied then there will be trouble forever.

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    • Yes Alan, keep it for the Pub like your opposites, A lot of people on both sides that cannot get laid and do not have a life seem to be drawn to so called “Just Causes” should actually drink in the same place and save the Taxpayer a fortune in the process !

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    • Alan, That reminds me, maybe Caroline and yourself should meet !!

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