There was widespread condemnation following the death yesterday of an RUC officer who was critically injured on September 5th in a loyalist blast-bomb attack.
Constable Frank O'Reilly was struck by shrapnel when a blast bomb was thrown at the police during loyalist violence in Portadown. The attack was claimed last Friday by a group calling itself the Red Hand Defenders.
The RUC officer sustained serious head injuries in the attack and died yesterday afternoon in a Belfast hospital. Constable O'Reilly, a 30-year-old Catholic, was married with three young children aged 10, four and 15 weeks. He had been a member of the RUC for nine years and was based in the Co Armagh village of Loughgall.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said those responsible for the RUC man's death should be ashamed, coming as it did soon after the deaths of three Quinn children who were burned in their home in July.
"It is time the unseemly confrontation in Portadown was brought to a speedy conclusion, and I would support religious and community leaders in redoubling their efforts to achieve this now, so that a healing process and reasonable discussions about the future can begin directly between all the parties on an inclusive basis," Mr Ahern said.
The Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, Mr Paul Murphy, said the "murderous attack" was both "cowardly and barbaric", adding: "His death has left a young family fatherless and will unite all communities in condemnation of such atrocities."
The First Minister of the Assembly and Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, said it was a dastardly murder. Constable O'Reilly was doing his duty, protecting people and property, and his actions were in contrast to the cowardly behaviour of those who threw the blast bomb.
The SDLP Assembly member for Upper Bann, Ms Brid Rodgers, expressed sympathy to the O'Reilly family and appealed to "all those involved in confrontation in Portadown" to recognise that in the current circumstances such confrontation often led to tragedy. She called for a protest rally planned for this Saturday in Portadown to be called off.
The leader of the Alliance Party, Mr Sean Neeson, appealed to everybody involved in the dispute over parades in Portadown "to get round the table and sort out their difficulties".
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Dr John Dixon, said it was "a needless and shocking death brought about by nothing other than vicious hatred".
Mr David Jones, press officer for Portadown Orange District, said the RUC officer's death was a tragedy. However, he said the Orange Order intended to continue its protest at Drumcree.
Meanwhile, a representative of this week's parade in Portadown, the Ulster Women's Coalition for Justice, indicated that it had no plans to cancel Saturday's demonstration. "We are saddened by Constable O'Reilly's death. We can identify with his family as many of our members have lost loved ones through violence. However, responsibility lies with the Parades Commission for banning the Drumcree parade in July. That ban in conjunction with local nationalist intransigence has created this situation."