‘Attack on democracy’ condemned after device found outside Sinn Fein office

Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill has condemned an “attack on democracy” after a viable explosive device was found outside a Sinn Fein office in Newry.

Ms O’Neill condemned what she termed a “cowardly attack” on the office used by Newry and Armagh MP Daire Hughes and Stormont MLA and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins.

The alarm was raised just before midnight on Sunday.

Army bomb experts attended the scene on Monaghan Street in the city and made safe and removed the device, which has been described as a “viable explosive device”.

Speaking at Stormont on Monday, standing alongside Mr Hughes and Ms Kimmins, Ms O’Neill said leaving a bomb outside a constituency office was “horrific”, and something that “all right-minded people would condemn”.

“This is of course an attack on democracy, it’s an attack on public representatives and their staff given the fact that they go out day and daily to defend people and stand up for people’s rights,” she said.

“I think that everyone can be horrified by what has occurred here, but we’ll not be deterred. We have work to do, our offices are open today and people are in there and providing services to the public.

“This can only be described as an absolute attack on democracy and left people very shaken by what has happened.”

Speaking alongside Ms O’Neill, Ms Kimmins condemned a “reckless act”.

“But it won’t stop me in my role as minister to do what I have to do to deliver for people here, and it won’t stop me as a very proud MLA of Newry and Armagh,” she said.

“It’s important to say that this does have a profound impact on our staff and our families, and this is a very personal impact right across the board.

“When we take up office, we represent people and be public representatives, we do that because we care but that has consequences when things like this happen on our own family and friends who are now concerned and worried about what this may mean.

“But as Michelle has said, we won’t be deterred, we will continue to stand up for what’s right and for our communities right across the board.”

Mr Hughes said it had been a “devastating and cowardly attack on democracy, on Sinn Fein, on the community in Newry and crucially on our staff who work hard day in, day out to provide a service for the people that we represent”.

“I want to pay tribute to them for opening the office this morning, and for being there for the people of Newry and Armagh,” he said.

“This was a cowardly and devastating attack, and anybody in the Newry community who have any information in relation to this to bring it forward to the PSNI as soon as possible.”

A police spokesperson said officers were grateful to local people for their patience while they worked to make the area safe.

They said: “An investigation is now under way and detectives would ask anyone with information, or who may have captured dashcam or CCTV footage from the area which could help with their investigation, to call them at Ardmore on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1648 05/10/25.”