“When a mother and father cannot trust the justice system to thoroughly investigate the suspicious deaths of their children, what is left”– Gemma Brolly Deputy Leader of Aontú.
A rally in Belfast this afternoon (5th April), held to demand answers around the death of schoolboy, Noah Donohoe, and other young people who died in suspicious circumstances, has been told that those who may be attempting to suppress the truth are no match for those who will continue to ‘roar for justice’.
14-year-old Noah Donohoe was found dead in a storm drain in North Belfast in 2020, six days after he went missing.
His Mother, Fiona, has consistently sought answers to several unanswered questions surrounding his death.
Crowds who turned out for ‘Feet On the Street’, organised by a cross section of the community, heard speaker after speaker demand full investigations be carried out into the suspicious deaths of Noah, and those of Matthew McCallan and Kelly Lynch.
Introducing speaker and Deputy Leader of Aontú , Gemma Brolly , Noah’s mother, Fiona, thanked Ms Brolly for” standing up for him from the very start, when others walked away”.
In an impassioned speech, Ms Brolly condemned what she alleged as the “mishandling, misrepresentation and deep neglect of Noah’s case”
“As a mother, as a human being, I am furious at how families seeking justice for their dead children have been so despicably treated. Fiona, through her heartbreak continues to fight tooth and nail for justice for her son Noah, but every step of the way, she has been met with walls of resistance. She has sought answers but has instead received delay after delay, excuse after excuse. This cannot, and will not, continue. This is a scandal. This is not just a failure; this is negligence on an institutional scale. And we will not accept this”.
Ms Brolly went on to term the investigation as ‘a farce’ saying
“The interference with the investigation, especially the break-in of the private investigator’s car — it is clear: this is a farce. This is not an isolated incident; this is a sign of a culture within our policing and justice systems that operates above the law, that evades accountability at every turn. We must demand answers about this break-in, and we must demand that the people responsible are held to account.
“I stand as a voice for Noah Donohoe, Matthew McCallan and Kelly Lynch — young lives taken too soon, and more importantly, young lives whose deaths have not been given the full, honest investigation and justice they deserve. Shameful! The deaths of Noah Donohoe, Matthew McCallan, and Kelly Lynch represent not just individual tragedies; they are a symbol of the failure of our justice system — a justice system that should be safeguarding our children, but instead is too often covering up, failing, or neglecting the truth.
Don’t think this couldn’t happen to your child, to your family, to any family. What would you do if you were denied the truth about what happened to your son or daughter? I am asking you today to imagine that reality, because this isn’t just a fight for Noah Donohoe — this is a fight for every child, every mother, every family in this country. This could be our children. It is no longer enough for us to sit silently by and hope that justice will come. Because, as we can all see, it hasn’t. To the Secretary of State, to our Policing and Justice System, to our Justice Minister…we have a message for you today…Noah’s Army are going nowhere…we will fight as long as it takes to get justice for these children, for Noah, for Matthew, for Kelly, as parents, and children today …HEAR US ROAR!
But it doesn’t stop there. We need more. We need a body, an organisation, a movement that will stand with families like Fiona, Frances, and JulieAnn. We need a national campaign — one that brings together mothers, fathers, activists, and communities to ensure that no family is ever left to fight alone. It is time to establish an independent group, a National Justice for Families Support Organisation, where families can come together and access legal help, emotional support, and the collective strength to stand against a system that has failed them time and time again. This organisation will be a lifeline for those who have lost children and are struggling in the fight for truth. It will serve as a beacon of hope, a reminder that there is always strength in solidarity.)
As the great Martin Luther King Jr. so powerfully stated,
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
And today, right now, is the time to do what is right — to demand justice for Noah Donohoe, Matthew Currie, Kelly Lynch, and all our children. We cannot wait any longer.
But we cannot do this alone. We must stand together as one. We must unite as a collective force— The time is now. Let us stand together and make sure that Noah Donohoe, Matthew Currie, Kelly Lynch — and all our children — are never forgotten, and that justice will be done. Let us show the world that here in Belfast, we are united in our fight for justice!
