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Plea for peace as Ulster mourns

Wright, known as King Rat, was head of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF). He was buried in his home town of Portadown in County Armagh.

Twenty miles way in Coalisland the funeral took place of the former Republican prisoner, Seamus Dillon. He was gunned down in Country Tyrone only hours after Wright was murdered at the Maze prison on Saturday.

Police surveillance on Catholic-owned bars has been intensified amid fears of a further retaliatory strikes by Loyalist gunmen who have vowed to take revenge for Wright's death.

Streets packed with mourners

Thousands of people followed Wright's cortege as the Union Flag was lowered to half-mast and the Christmas lights stayed off.

In a graveside tribute, a convicted killer said Wright's life might have taken a different direction but for the violence of Northern Ireland.

Pastor Kenny McClinton, a former UFF gunmen who once served a life sentence for murder, said Wright was a complicated, articulate and sophisticated man of high integrity.

"He has lived all his life in the Troubles. He suffered greatly and has caused suffering as a result," he said.

"This is a man who may have committed himself to terrible deeds of terrorism as many have, including myself, but he would not have robbed you of a penny. His word was his bond. He was man of high honesty."

Members of the media were warned to keep their distance from the funeral. Those who got too close were jostled by funeral stewards.

Virtually all businesses in the town were closed after shopkeepers received letters warning them to close for the the day as a mark of respect to the LVF chief. As the main throughfares emptied at noon, the Ulster Unionist Mayor of Craigavon said people felt intimidated.

All bus services were suspended because of the threat of trouble after the funeral.

At the time of his death, Wright, 37, was two months into an eight-year sentence for threatening to kill a woman, but was believed to have ordered or participated in several sectarian killings.

In recent years his militant opposition to peace talks had made him a target for rival Loyalist paramilitary groups as well as Republicans.

Seamus Dillon also had a history of sectarian violence. A former IRA member, he had served a life sentence for murder.

Violence condemned

However, relatives said that since his release from prison he had given up his old ways and tried to make a new life for himself. Dillon was shot while he was working as a doorman at the Glengannon Hotel, Dungannon. Two other men and a 14-year-old boy were also wounded in the attack.

Although Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, was among the mourners, the Dillon funeral lacked any of the usual trappings of a paramilitary send-off.

Conducting the service, the Very Reverend Seamus Rice made a plea for peace. "His mother and father and his whole family circle have time and time again asked that his death not be used for any kind of retaliation," he said.

Relevant Stories

Maze inquiry useless - Trimble (30 Dec 97 | UK)
Three remanded on Maze murder charge (29 Dec 97 | UK)
Security to be tightened at Maze (29 Dec 97 | UK)
Paramilitaries vow to avenge killing (27 Dec 97 | UK)
'King Rat', Ulster's infamous paramilitary (27 Dec 97 | UK)

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