'All anger has been taken away' - says daughter of solicitor murdered by IRA, as report published

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Anne Frances O'Kelly explained how, no matter how far she had been from Northern Ireland and how happy her life was there was a deep inside feeling of "irrecoverable loss and distress".

"I could never talk about my father's killing to anyone," especially to those within the family, she said adding that it was "bad form to mention the subject".

Her brother Roger had sought answers and the meeting with the ICRIR had brought him "great peace," she said.

She also paid tribute to the "heroine of this story" - her mother - who "kept the home warm and cheerful, and encouraged us to get qualified and independent".

"She never got over the loss of her husband, missing his kindliness, humour and story-telling. She thought of him every day."

Commissioner for investigations, Peter Sheridan, said: "The commission has provided as many answers as possible in this report.

"However, like many legacy cases, there will be people who can still shed light on Rory O'Kelly's murder.

"I am calling on those people to use this moment to engage with the commission for the sake of those members of Mr O'Kelly's family who are seeking further information."

The ICRIR was established as part of the last government's Legacy Act.

Under a bill currently before parliament, it will undergo reforms as part of a replacement act.

Earlier this year a review of the ICRIR found it faced significant problems.

Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant said: "Reading Anne O'Kelly's deeply moving personal statement, I was struck by the transformative impact the information provided has had on her and her family.

"Many families have waited too long to find out what happened to their loved ones during the troubles, but I strongly believe that the work to uncover this information is of vital importance.

"I look forward to a steady rhythm now being established for the publication of ICRIR's reports, as we work together to prepare for its transition to the Legacy Commission as set out in the NI Troubles Bill."

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