Former hostage opens Credit Union

The opening coincided with the International Credit Union Day.

Lurgan CU had been established for more than 25 years and had a membership of more than 10,000.

During his speech at the opening Brian congratulated the work of the Credit Union in providing such a facility to the Brownlow community.

He said: “Here I sense challenge and I sense change.”

After the opening he was able to speak for a few minutes of his experiences and impressions since his release.

“I was travelling recently and I met a family from Derry who were on holiday, and the asked me what it was like to be free.

“You still got the same question from people over and over again, but it is a slow and difficult process to describe how you feel, especially of you are a public figure - that makes it much more difficult.

“I couldn’t believe Belfast had changed so much; I take walks through old places and haunts that I knew before my capture.and along the old routes I find many places have disappeared.

“Belfast does look better now, but it’s not the town I remember.”

Regarding freedom, Brian said he can not define it in words.

“I can’t answer what freedom is, it has it’s own kind of prison.”