Political reporter Arthur Beesley outlines the continuing intimidation of one Catholic family.
It was early this year, when he was singled out for attack by the Provisional IRA unit in his area, that Dermott and his family became embroiled in a terrifying cycle of violence, cruelty and despair.
For them and for other families victimised by paramilitary groups of all shades, the 10th anniversary of the first IRA ceasefire is meaningless. In the changed political landscape, their everyday life is blighted by fear and the pervasive threat of violence.
In his 30s, and a father of six, Dermott was abducted from a pub on January 12th by a gang of some 10 paramilitaries. They took him to the grounds of a local parochial hall and shot him nine times in the legs. After that, the gang smashed both his legs with hammers and pickaxe handles studded with nails. As the assault continued, Dermott's wife arrived by car. It was only when she shone the lights on the gang that they fled.
Dermott was lucky to survive with his life in what the Co Tyrone priest Father Denis Faul described this week as an "attempted murder". He lost a great deal of blood and is psychologically and physically damaged. He can still walk, but only with difficulty.
Dermott's elderly mother was hospitalised soon after the assault. A mother of 12, she died some weeks later. "No doubt the attack was a big factor in her death," said Father Faul.
"The sight of Dermott dragging himself up the aisle, his mother having died as a result of the shock, was very poignant."
Father Faul sent a statement on Dermott's abduction to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in April. Released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act, a version of it appeared in the Catholic journal Lumen in the interim. While the statement does not say why the IRA picked on Dermott, it goes on to list a litany of threats and coercion against his family even after the death of his mother. Such activity has continued throughout the year, the most recent incident occurring a fortnight ago.
Shocked at the assault on Dermott and fearful that he would be attacked again, two of his sisters decided to approach the local IRA leader. Mary, a mother of six, and Honora, a mother of four, asked the IRA figure to lift the death threat against their brother. "They said that he repeated the death threat," said Father Faul's statement.
On April 11th, Easter Sunday, members of the Provisional IRA and their associates had a parade in the district and then went to a pub. About 40 of them went later on to another pub nearby, which is not usually frequented by militant republicans.
Mary and Honora were in that pub; Mary had been working there with her two daughters. While she was on her shift, she was visible to the IRA figures. According to Father Faul's statement, they shouted for her to come and serve them.
"A brother of the Provo godfather approached her, held her by the shoulders and said: 'I would like to punch your face.' He went away and came back as she was lifting glasses off a table and bending over. He held her by the hips and moved her from side to side, telling her 'what a beautiful body you have'. The large group of IRA men present were tittering and jeering at the woman's plight."
Mary's husband was also threatened during this incident. "Where is the Southern man? He better watch himself." Nine days later, his car was burned out in an early morning attack.
Father Faul said Mary and Honora were badly affected by the scene in the pub. Writing in April, he said Honora had suffered a severe attack of shingles after that episode.
Mary was "shattered emotionally" and felt she would have to leave the parish with her six children for the sake of safety.
While the family did not move, Father Faul said this week another individual linked to the IRA figures had subjected Mary to a similar experience in the pub only a fortnight ago. On another occasion, Horora's son was threatened after being summoned to a church at 10 p.m.
Stating that "one dare not go to the police" in such situations, Father Faul said the family would like to take a civil case for criminal damage. However, he said all the witnesses are intimidated.
Citing the 1916 Proclamation, Father Faul said all children of the nation were not being treated equally.
"These unfortunate people have lost their human rights, their legal rights and their civil rights due to the controlocrats of the IRA," his statement said.
Such activities are very common, he said this week. "The Catholic gangsters are persecuting the Catholic poor and the Loyalists are doing the same on their side.
"The three IRAs plus the INLA have put an iron grip on very large parts of the Catholic community."
This is borne out in the first report last April of the Independent Monitoring Commission, which said it knew of "countless" cases of serious injury arising from violent assault by Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries.
Between January of 2003 and last February, the commission noted 66 "Republican-style" shootings and 56 assaults. For the same period, it noted 123 "Loyalist-style" shootings and 116 assaults.
"While individual incidents of violence may not be directed at a senior level except in the most serious cases, violence is authorised, and what is authorised can be prevented," the commission said.
Names have been changed on request to protect those quoted.