Delegates at Fórsa’s Education Conference stood in solidarity with the late Lyra McKee last Wednesday. The journalist was shot dead while working at the scene of a riot in the Creggan area of Derry earlier this month.

The union’s President Ann McGee invited conference to send condolences to the family and friends of Ms McKee by standing in a moments’ silence the day of the 29 year-old’s funeral.

“We join with Lyra’s loved ones and the National Union of Journalists in calling for peace and respect across this island, and across a world that has witnessed so many atrocities in recent times,” she said.

Earlier, ICTU General Secretary Patricia King also paid tribute to Lyra: “We stand with her NUJ colleagues and her loved ones at this time, as we do so with any workers threatened or assaulted by these masked delinquents who sully the noble term 'dissident',” she said.

Colleagues from across the globe paid homage to Ms McKee on social media using the hashtag #WeStandWithLyra.