‘More Aidan McAnespies’ if hard border returns warns MP

ONE of the north’s leading politicians has spoken of her fears that the introduction of border checkpoints at Aughnacloy and other locations could lead to a repeat of the Aidan McAnespie killing of 1988.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP, Michelle Gildernew, was speaking at the candlelit vigil on Friday, just yards from where the 23 year-old was shot while crossing the checkpoint on his way to a GAA match 32 years ago this month.

She told the TyroneHerald that the town had seen the worst outcomes of the border with the shooting dead of Mr McAnespie and did not want a repeat in the future.

“It’s the fact that we have seen here in Aughnacloy our Aghaloo clubman Aidan McAnespie being shot dead here at the checkpoint. For every piece of infrastructure which goes up, that will be added to until we could be sitting once again with a heavily militarised border,” he said.

“We have to keep working to ensure that this border does not become a reality in our children’s lives and we could have more Aidan McAnespies.”

“I will never shake that fear because I know too much about what it was like going through there. My formative years were spent travelling up and down to our football ground and nothing will convince me that we can relax our guard.

The experienced politician said the only way to be totally certain of avoiding a hard border would be to rejoin the European Union as part of a united Ireland.

“The only solution that will work for any of us is that we can rejoin the EU as part of a unified Ireland and that’s where the entire focus needs to be now. We have to make sure that every political party in Ireland is planning and preparing for unity,” she added.

“Having a united Ireland is the only way that we’ll be able to remove the burden of fear from families who are living here, and the burden for farmers, for businesses, for manufacturers and logistics.