Adams joins funeral tribute

Up to 5,000 people yesterday attended the funeral in west Belfast of Terry Enright, a relative of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, who was shot dead by loyalists at the weekend.

Since he died, a number of cross-community tributes have been paid to Mr Enright, the 28- year-old who was married to Mr Adams's niece and whom was the father of two children. He was noted for his work with the young and disadvantaged.

Hundreds of children lined the route, many of them holding banners paying tribute to his work.

At yesterday's funeral Gerry Adams carried the coffin for a time as Mr Enright's widow walked behind carrying a single red rose.

He was shot dead last Saturday as he worked as a doorman at a city centre club which was owned by a relative of the loyalist politician, David Ervine.

Mr Ervine has said that the group which claimed responsibility for the attack, the Loyalist Volunteer Force, had wished to strike at him and his family. The LVF, which was founded by the loyalist Billy Wright, opposes the peace process.

The Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Patrick Walsh, told mourners: "Terry was born in 1969, a fateful year. 1969-1998 was year after year of agony piled on agony. Will 1998 be a fateful year in a different sense, a year that will see the agony over, and the darkness of bitterness, suspicion, hatred and terror scattered in the warm light of tolerance, respect, love and peace?"

Dr Walsh said Mr Enright had been murdered simply because he was a Catholic, adding: "Not only those who pulled the trigger were guilty but also those who had fomented bitterness and hatred with inflammatory words."