Lyra McKee: ‘I thought this was in the past’ – how killing shook NI

Lyra was a daughter, sister, friend and partner.

At a vigil in Derry the day after her death, Sara Canning said she had been left without “the woman I was planning to grow old with”.

“The senseless murder of Lyra McKee has left a family without a beloved daughter, a sister, an aunt and a great-aunt; so many friends without their confidante,” her partner added.

“We are all poorer for the loss of Lyra.”

Regarded as a rising star in journalism she was named Sky News Young Journalist of the Year in 2006 when she was 16.

She went on to write for Private Eye, The Atlantic, Mosaic Science, and Mediagazer.

When she was killed she had a two-book deal with Faber and Faber.

A collection of her previous articles, letters, and essays titled Lost, Found, Remembered was posthumously published in 2020.

Lyra’s writing was deeply personal.

In A Letter to My 14-Year-Old Self, McKee wrote directly to her teenage self about growing up gay in Northern Ireland.

The letter was later adapted into a short film and reflected on her experiences of bullying, concealing her sexuality and the religious guilt that she said eventually faded.

Several lines from the piece have become enduring messages of hope for young members of the LGBTQ+ community, including: “Kid, it’s gonna be okay”.

Another line, “it won’t always be like this. It’s going to get better”, is written on a mural of her.