Lyra McKee, 29, was killed when she was shot in the head during rioting in the Creggan area of Derry last Thursday, and her funeral will take place today (Wednesday) at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. 

The young woman was standing near a police 4×4 observing the violence in Derry when she was struck by a bullet after a masked gunman fired towards police and onlookers.

Yesterday (Tuesday), paramilitary group, the new IRA admitted responsibility for the murder of the journalist, and offered ‘sincere apologies.’ 

On Saturday afternoon at 3pm, around 100 people gathered in the Diamond in Enniskillen for a vigil in memory of Lyra McKee where a statement from the National Union of Journalists was read aloud, various speakers addressed the crowd and a minute silence was held.

Since the tragic incident, tributes have been paid to Ms McKee from leading figures in journalism, politics and beyond as social media has been flooded with messages of condolences for the young woman.

A joint statement from political party leaders was issued saying “Lyra’s murder was also an attack on all the people of this community, an attack on the peace and democratic processes. We are united in rejecting those responsible for this heinous crime.”

DUP leader Arlene Foster travelled to the Creggan on Friday for the first time to attend a vigil just hours after the killing and addressed the crowd saying she came to stand in solidarity with all the people who were there, adding, ‘your pain is my pain.’ 

Fr Brian D’Arcy has expressed his “extreme sadness” following the death of Ms McKee, describing her as “a very special person”.

Speaking on RTE’s Countrywide, Fr D’Arcy said that people fear a return to violence adding that young people did not comprehend what life would be like if violence were to return to the streets of Northern Ireland.