Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams today defended his decision to attend a dinner commemorating more than 400 members of the IRA and Sinn Fein who have died in the Troubles.
The dinner in Dublin tonight, at which the Mr Adams is guest speaker, has attracted criticism from relatives of those killed by the IRA.
But Mr Adams insisted his attendance was not intended to offend victims of terrorism and was part of the process of healing taking place in Ireland.
But Mr William Fraser, whose father and four other family members were killed by the IRA, told BBC Radio 4's Todayprogramme: "My feeling is one of disgust that this is actually taking place, the fact that so many terrorists are going to be celebrating what they call a war.
"What is going on between the Government and the terrorists is bad enough, but now that they are coming out publicly and celebrating the fact is the final insult."
But Mr Adams insisted that the dinner was not a memorial or celebration, but a tribute to the families of those who have died.
He told Today: "This event has been a number of years in the making and actually came about as the peace process developed and we saw this huge group of people, who do come together quite regularly in commemorations.
"(It is about) the hurt, the need for a healing process and a grieving process in a national way, no more or less than that."
Mr Adams denied the event was intended as a sop to hardline republicans angered by the IRA's recent decommissioning of some of its arms.
"It won't soothe those who have that view, and it isn't intended to do that," he said.
"The people who organised this event had no connection with the IRA's moves or initiatives to put arms beyond use."
PA