JUSTICE MINISTER ALAN Shatter has described as ‘reprehensible and absolute unacceptable’ the events that took place at the funeral of Real IRA member Alan Ryan yesterday.

Men and women dressed in paramilitary-style uniforms attended the funeral in the north of the city yesterday with reports saying that shots were fired in salute to the 31-year-old.

Ryan was shot dead in what has been described as a gangland-style attack in Clongriffin last Monday in which another man was also injured.

Hundreds of mourners gathered on the streets of Donaghmede yesterday but it was the presence of a number of people in paramilitary clothing that has led to Shatter issuing a strongly-worded statement statement today.

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“I regard as reprehensible and absolutely unacceptable some of the events which surrounded a funeral in Dublin yesterday,” he said.

“Paramilitary trappings should not blind people to the fact that what is at issue is criminal terrorism carried on by people who, for their own reasons, want to drag the people of this island back to a dark past.

“In treating the will of the people, North and South, with contempt, they dishonour democracy.

There was a heavy garda presence at the funeral which included a service at the Church of Holy Trinity in Donaghmede and photos indicated a presence of armed gardaí but there were no reports of any trouble or arrests.

However, Shatter said that he had been assured by the Garda Commissioner that any breaches of the law are being pursued “rigorously”.

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The Minister continued: “I recognise fully the immediate difficulties which face An Garda Siochana when people take advantage of a funeral to behave in this fashion.

“But the Garda Commissioner has assured me that they are pursuing rigorously any breaches of the law which took place.

“The Gardai, together with their colleagues in the North, will continue to take every action open to them to deal with the activities of members of these groups, whether they are engaging in terrorism or organised crime.”