These are masked dissident republicans on the march just miles from the spot where the Continuity IRA gunned down a police officer in cold blood. The diehards took to the streets of Lurgan yesterday to hear a sickening hate-filled message from republican veterans who declared that “republicans had done their duty”.

There was not a police officer in sight as 13 masked men dressed in military fatigues walked through the Kilwilkie estate in broad daylight.

Moments later they stood at the Republican plot in nearby Colman’s Cemetery where they heard sympathisers, including Republican Sinn Fein president Ruairi O’Bradaigh, salute the brutal murder of Constable Stephen Carroll - a killing which provoked outrage across Northern Ireland.

After laying floral tributes to the terror organisation that gunned down the Catholic police officer, a chilling statement was read out on behalf of the RSF leadership.

It said: “In the year since last Easter the war has been carried to the English enemy. Nobody should be surprised at this development by the Continuity IRA.

“As long as the British occupation forces remain in Ireland that will be the inevitable result of their presence here.”

A second statement, read on behalf of republican prisoners in Maghaberry jail, said: “Irish history has taught us that as long as there is British interference in Irish affairs, there will always be resistance as we have seen in recent weeks with the successful engagement of Crown forces.”

But only around 50 people attended the rally in support of a bunch of diehards who are out of step with mainstream republican opinion.

The rally came just days after Constable Carroll’s widow Kate told how she took comfort from the thousands of people who turned out in protest at the savage killings of her husband and the

Real IRA murders of Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey outside Massereene Barrack days earlier.

“A handful can’t take life in peace and are taking things to the extreme, but I hope a lesson can be learned from this.

“People don’t want to go back,” said Kate (right).

“The peace rallies brought me comfort, because it showed how many people out there were appalled by what happened to Steve and the two young soldiers. If losing my husband brings communities closer in any way, I’ll be happy because that means he won’t have died in vain.”

So far three people have been charged with Constable Carroll’s murder.

They include former Sinn Fein councillor Brendan McConville, who remains on remand in the separated republican wing in Maghaberry prison.