The President Mary McAleese joined thousands of mourners at the funeral of murdered human rights lawyer, Rosemary Nelson, in Co Armagh today. The mother-of-three, who represented many high-profile nationalists, died after dissident loyalists blew up her car near her home in Lurgan on Monday. Foreign Minister, David Andrews, and Northern Ireland Office political development minister, Paul Murphy, also paid their respects.
Mrs Nelson's husband, Paul, her two sons, Christopher, 13, Gavin, 11, and eight-year-old daughter, Sarah, led the mourners from their home in Ashford Grange to the town's St Peter's church. Sarah was at school less than 100 yards from the explosion which killed her mother, while the two boys were flown home from a ski trip in France.
Gavin Nelson spoke of his mother's profile as a solicitor, but added "We, her family, knew her as the best wife, daughter and parent you could ever wish for. We all come here today to celebrate the life of a wonderful person we all know we were very lucky to have known and loved
His brother Christopher said: "We who have known her more than anyone will understand she is now with God in Heaven. She always cared for us, that is the way we remember her."
Father Kieran McPartlan conducted the requiem mass and Mrs Nelson's remains were then taken to Roselawn crematorium in Belfast. Several of the province's politicians, including Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly and Bairbre de Brun, and the SDLP's Brid Rodgers, cut short trips to Washington for the White House St Patrick's Day to attend the funeral
Upper Bann Assemblywoman, Mrs Rodgers, used to live near Mrs Nelson and taught with her sister. Another Upper Bann representative, Dara O'Hagan, of Sinn Fein, was a close personal friend and was one of the first on the scene of the explosion Garvaghy Road residents spokesman, Breandan MacCionnaith, also rushed back from Seattle for the funeral, which he will attend with fellow independent nationalist councillor, Joe Duffy. Mrs Nelson was preparing compensation claims against the RUC for 200 nationalists involved in the dispute with Orangemen who want to march down the Garvaghy Road.
Kent Chief Constable, David Phillips, who will oversee the investigation into Mrs Nelson's murder, has arrived in Northern Ireland with two senior officers from the Kent force. Mr Phillips, one of the UK's most experienced officers, has been involved in the inquiries into the handling of the Stephen Lawrence and Birmingham Six cases.
Meanwhile, the Independent Police Complaints Commission is to issue a statement on Friday on its report into the alleged harassment of Mrs Nelson by the RUC, which she claimed included death threats. The Northern Ireland Office has insisted Mrs Nelson never approached it with concerns about her personal safety.
RUC chief constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, announced within hours of her death that a senior police officer from another force would head the murder hunt and that the FBI would also assist. Sinn Fein has criticised his response as totally inadequate and called for a completely independent, international inquiry with United Nations involvement.
Craigavon magistrates court, which Mrs Nelson regularly attended on Thursdays, will be closed until the afternoon. Many solicitors' offices around the province will shut as a mark of respect. The court service has said it is up to individual solicitors whether they attend court sittings on the day of the funeral, but it will view request for postponement of cases sympathetically.
