Buildings to light up in memory of Lyra McKee

All Derry City & Strabane District Council buildings will be lit up on April 18 to mark the anniversary of the death of journalist Lyra McKee who was fatally shot during rioting in the Creggan area of the city in 2019.
By Gillian Anderson
Published 29th Mar 2021, 10:41 BST
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th April 2019 - File picture of Lyra McKee, Freelance journalist, writer, editor pictured at TEDxStormont Women 2017 in the Great Hall, Parliament Buildings in 2nd November 2017 Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th April 2019 - File picture of Lyra McKee, Freelance journalist, writer, editor pictured at TEDxStormont Women 2017 in the Great Hall, Parliament Buildings in 2nd November 2017 Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th April 2019 - File picture of Lyra McKee, Freelance journalist, writer, editor pictured at TEDxStormont Women 2017 in the Great Hall, Parliament Buildings in 2nd November 2017 Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

Next month marks the second anniversary of Lyra’s death and her partner Sara Canning had been holding meetings to discuss marking the day with Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council Brian Tierney. “I have had a number of meetings with the late Lyra McKee and members will know her anniversary is coming up in April,” Mayor Tierney told the recent Full Council meeting. “They put a request to me to light up the civic buildings on the anniversary of Lyra’s passing which I have agreed to do.

“They have also asked that I share this information with you and ask all of you to share the images and the positive images across all of your social media platforms which will be going out shortly afterwards.

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“I would appreciate all your support on that and Sara and the close friends of Lyra would appreciate that as well.”

Buildings across the city and district will be lit up in rainbow colours, and Mayor Tierney has urged other Councils to do likewise.

The ‘New IRA’ admitted responsibility for killing 29-year old Lyra, who had been living in Derry for several months prior to her death. Lyra’s death led to a wave of revulsion and large public demonstrations in protest at the campaign by dissidents.

By Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter