RONAN KERR:RONAN KERR (25) graduated from PSNI training college last December and had recently moved into the new housing development in the Highfield area of Omagh where he was murdered.
His family is from Co Tyrone and he was raised near Beragh, a short distance from Omagh.
A single man, he is survived by his mother Nuala, his sister Dairine and two brothers Cathair and Aaron. His father died some time ago.
One of Constable Kerr’s brothers had been working overseas and was returning from Australia when he was told of the murder.
Constable Kerr had a circle of friends in Omagh, played some football and was a member of Tyrone GAA. The association’s Ulster president Aogán Ó Fearghail and Tyrone GAA chairman Ciarán MacLochlainn said in a joint statement: “It is difficult to comprehend how a young man with the best interests of our community at heart and who contributed so positively to our community could be attacked in this way. His death demeans humanity and is detrimental to the development of a shared future based on mutual respect.”
The parish priest of Beragh, Fr Arthur McAnerney, said the Catholic police officer was “a really friendly lad, very open, hard-working and lively boy”.
“He saw no evil in anyone and treated everyone so well. His mother is quite distraught but very dignified, the rest of the family will be very distraught and asking why.”
Constable Kerr entered the PSNI’s training college at Garnerville in east Belfast in May 2010.
Police headquarters said he began his on-the-job training in F District, which covers the Dungannon, Omagh and Cookstown areas of Tyrone as well as the whole of Fermanagh, in December 2010, following graduation.
He first joined the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, before moving to what the police call a response role at the end of March 2011 as part of his career development.
He recently moved into an apartment in the Highfield Close development on the outskirts of Omagh, close to Tyrone’s county GAA grounds at Healy Park.
Yesterday’s National League match between Tyrone and Kildare was moved from Healy Park to Dungannon as a mark of respect. A minute’s silence was observed before the throw-in.
One neighbour estimated that Constable Kerr only moved into his new home towards the end of last year.
Speaking in Omagh PSNI station just hours after the murder, Chief Constable Matt Baggott said: “He had been a police officer for mere months but he had been a member of the community here for 25 years. He grew up here, he went to school here. He made the decision to join the police service here, to protect and serve the people here.
“Ronan was relatively new to the PSNI but had proven himself a good and dedicated officer in the short time he was with us. He had joined the police because he was willing to stand up and serve his community.”