Sean O’Reilly during the Republican Network for Unity Easter commemoration takes place in the Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast on April 20th 2025 (Photo by Kevin Scott)
A dissident republican who survived a murder bid in west Belfast two months ago has been spotted in public for the first time since the attack.
Sean O’Reilly – who was shot while sitting in his car – was seen today at a republican Easter commemoration event in Belfast’s Milltown Cemetery.
Images from the event, organised by the Republican Network for Unity group, show Mr O’Reilly watching on, with his left arm supported by a black sling.
At the time of the attack against Mr O’Reilly two months ago, he was sitting in his car outside the taxi firm where he works in the Bell Steel Manor area of Poleglass.
Police say he was approached by two masked men at around 10.30am on Sunday 23 February.
Five shots were fired at him, hitting him once in the shoulder.
Following the shooting he was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and had surgery there to remove a bullet which had lodged in his collarbone.
Sean O’Reilly during the Republican Network for Unity Easter commemoration takes place in the Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast on April 20th 2025 (Photo by Kevin Scott)
Republican Network for Unity easter commemoration
O’Reilly was due to undergo a second surgery for nerve damage in Scotland.
However, his lawyer later confirmed he had to travel to Dublin for that procedure, after being denied permission on anti-terrorism grounds to travel to Scotland.
Mr O’Reilly is a member of Republican Network for Unity and a former republican prisoner.
It was reported that the west Belfast man had been threatened two weeks prior to the shooting in a garage forecourt, with fears growing of a violent retaliation amid an escalating feud between members of the dissident gang Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH).