Recently we have witnessed dark scenes that are remnant of a past that many of us have so longed to forget.

The death of Colin ‘bap’ Lindsay and Peggy O’Hara have disturbed the underground factions of the paramilitary organisations of which they were members and supporters of.

On Friday 17th July Colin ‘bap’ Lindsay, who was killed in a savage samurai sword attack earlier in the month, was laid to rest along with several members of the UDA command looking on.

Jackie McDonald, a prominent commander within the organisation, dressed in a dark suit and wore a UDA tie and saluted his former comrade as his remains were taken to their final resting place.

The commander surveyed as others wearing loyalist arm bands and carrying large floral arrangements brandishing loyalist symbols followed suit.

The police were described as “looking on” as they sat in two parked cars feet away from the church where the men had gathered.

If we juxtapose the scene from a large gathering of “staunch” loyalists to an even larger gathering of republicans then we arrive in Derry/Londonderry to the funeral of Peggy O’Hara.

Mrs O’Hara was the mother of INLA hunger striker Patsy O’Hara who died in the maze prison in 1981 after being incarcerated for possessing a hand grenade.

This republican funeral bore images of the loyalist funeral the day before in Belfast; the only differences, really, were the colours that were flown.

O’Hara’s funeral was attended by many INLA members who flanked the cortege and who marched behind it in militarised clothing, with scarves covering their faces. This time the paramilitaries were not graced with any police presence.

There has been much criticism of the lack of police attendance at this funeral, considering that just two days previously INLA members shot bullets over the coffin as it arrived home to be waked.

The question, simply, is why were the police not strong in their presence to make sure that they outweighed the presence of those wanting to remind us of darker days?