Will sisters' welcome leave IRA in cold?

By Mark Simpson
BBC correspondent in Washington

Mrs McCartney should be proud of her daughters, Sen Kennedy said

Of all the events the McCartney sisters will remember this week, the one that sticks out may well be the moment Senator Ted Kennedy phoned their mother.

Away from the cameras, in an office on Capitol Hill, the veteran senator dialled up 61-year-old Kathleen McCartney at her Belfast home to tell her she had five wonderful daughters.

"You should be very proud of them," he told her.

Like many Irish people, Mrs McCartney is a big fan of the Kennedys. JFK was one of her heroes.

To hear his brother on the other end of the telephone must have been quite a shock.

But everything at the moment must seem a little unreal for Kathleen and her husband Robert, 63.

Media scrutiny

Since their son Robert Jnr was stabbed to death in January by a gang which included members of the IRA, the McCartney family has been catapulted into the international spotlight.

While the parents have shied away from the cameras, the focus has been on Gemma, Paula, Donna, Catherine and Claire.

The image of these five Catholic women taking a stand against the IRA has been a powerful one. The question is - will it achieve results? Mark Simpson

Their every step has been followed by a swarm of TV cameras on the streets of the American capital. They can't even eat their breakfast in peace.

The novelty of media attention is beginning to wear off. At times some of the sisters have demanded privacy, even just for a quick smoke, but in vain.

End of IRA?

Never mind the White House, it must feel like the Big Brother house.

Nonetheless, the image of these five Catholic women taking a stand against the IRA has been a powerful one. The question is - will it achieve results?

What the family want is their day in court - the people who killed their brother arrested, charged and sent to jail for life.

The result which the peace process needs is an end to the IRA. If the whole controversy over Robert McCartney's killing brings that day closer, then perhaps some good can come out of his death.

But, at this stage, are people close to being charged? And is the IRA about to disband?

The answer is "no".

In spite of the warm welcome for the McCartneys in Washington, that's the cold reality.