For Lyra.

On the evening of Thursday the 18th of April 2019, the life of one of the most talented, hardworking and committed Journalists from Northern Ireland, was violently and abruptly ended.

Lyra McKee was covering the increasingly violent clashes in the Creggan area of Derry when masked gunmen opened fire on police attending the scene. Lyra was hit in the process and passed away en route to hospital.

The reaction from all corners of society has been one of shock, disbelief, anger and condemnation towards her killers, in what the PSNI has described as an “act of terrorism”.

In what was a rare joint response, the leaders of the six main political parties spoke as one to condemn the actions of those responsible for Lyra’s killing. They went on to state that: “Lyra’s murder was an attack on all the people of this community, an attack on the peace and democratic process. We are united in rejecting those responsible for this heinous crime. They have no support in the community and must be brought to justice”.

The leaders of the main political parties have also stood with Lyra’s partner, Sara, in the Creggan area of Derry where Lyra what shot. No matter their differences in opinions and stance on issues like Brexit or Equal Marriage, they came together to utterly condemn the barbaric actions of those involved. This was the power of Lyra, the Lyra that we knew. She had the power to bring together people from differing backgrounds and speak to people on a personal level, whether that was in one-on-one discussion, or in her written work which powerfully conveyed her own personal way of writing.

To understand the impact that Lyra had on people, you only have to look at social media to see friends, politicians and those who interacted with Lyra to see what she meant. Friends talked of the times they would spend together, swapping stories and putting the world to rights, and how her loss had left them struggling to come up with words to describe their feelings.

Lyra was a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and her writing shone much needed light on the struggles, difficulties and challenges that growing up gay in religious Northern Ireland presented. She worked tirelessly with groups such as GenderJamNI and the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association (NIGRA) for the betterment of those in need within her community, always pushing to highlight and combat intolerance and the lack of equality in society in Northern Ireland.

The ending to her TEDxStormont talk in 2017 is a testament to the kind of person she was. At the end of her talk, Lyra dedicated it to “the memory of the Pulse 49 and all LGBT people who have died by suicide”. That was Lyra. Utterly selfless and focused on others, not herself. She was a role model for many equal-rights campaigners and allies across the island of Ireland, and her legacy will be the work she did to advance those rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

I was fortunate to meet Lyra on two separate occasions. Both times I was stuck by the strength of character and conviction that she presented. She was so passionate about young journalists, and young people more generally, working in the journalistic world. She worked to help us understand what a principled, focused and successful journalist looked like and she lived that image thought her work.

Lyra showed us as young people that there should be no barrier to journalism. No matter your gender, sex, race or social class, if you had a story to tell, or wanted to tell the story of others, you can do it and nothing and no-one should stand in your way.

When I heard that Lyra had been killed by dissident republicans while doing her job, I was struck firstly by anger at those that believed that killing anyone, not least a journalist, would hasten their cause, and secondly by a sense of deep and abject sadness. Sadness at the loss of an inspiring role model and sadness that the dark days of the past had returned to haunt this community once again, 21 years on from the Good Friday Agreement.

Lyra was a standout writer and journalist who showed many young people like myself, what it means to tell the story of others. We’ll miss her humour, her nuanced insight and her engaging writing style.

I will remember Lyra for the hope that she gave me that Northern Ireland will become a safer, more inclusive and more equal place to live, work and love in.

While writing this op-ed on Lyra, I thought about how I could adequately sum up what Lyra meant to me. She meant so much to so many and I will never be able to do her justice in a short op-ed. The best way to remember Lyra is through her own words. To look back at her TEDx talk, Lyra, in typical fashion, dedicated to those members the LGBT community who had fallen victim to suicide. She quoted from scripture, the text that once made her feel like she didn’t belong, that now stood as a reassurance that things will get better for us all.

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11

By Michael Jardine