Call over INLA killer club event

Christopher "Crip" McWilliams was a convicted double killer

Former Sports Minister Edwin Poots has called on a west Belfast GAA club to cancel a booking for a function to commemorate an INLA murderer.

The event, remembering Christopher "Crip" McWilliams, is due to be held at the St Paul's club next month.

The club committee said it was unaware of the nature of the booking when it was made and will discuss it soon.

Mr Poots said it would be damaging to the club and the wider GAA if the evening goes ahead.

"They should just cancel this booking - these sort of events are normally held in backstreet social clubs," he said.

"If somebody wants to commemorate people who engage in terrorism that's the place for it, certainly not in a sporting club."

In 1991, McWilliams, who died from cancer in June this year, shot dead a bar manager who had asked him to leave a Belfast snooker club.

Six years later, he shot and killed LVF leader Billy Wright in the Maze Prison.

A spokesman for the club committee said: "The committee was unaware of the nature of this booking when it was made by a club member.

"The committee will be discussing the booking when they next convene."