Chronology - Part 9.

27 June 2002 - Present

27 June 2002 - In her BIRW Director's Report for June, Jane Winter referred to developments in the Seamus Ludlow case in the following terms:

seamus ludlow

We have also submitted a detailed report to Judge Henry Barron, who has begun his consideration of the murder in 1976 of Seamus Ludlow.  Seamus Ludlow was killed by northern loyalists, some of whom were serving soldiers.  Inexplicably, An Garda Síochána shut down their murder investigation after just 19 days.  We have urged Mr Justice Barron to recommend a public inquiry into this sad and sordid case. 

(Please visit British Irish Rights Watch's monthly Report at  http://www.birw.org/rep2002/JUNE%2002.html)

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3 July 2002 - In an important new development for the Ludlow family, the office of the Irish Attorney General Rory Brady wrote to the family solicitor regarding the holding of a fresh inquest into the death of Seamus Ludlow.

The family's lawyer had written on 30 May 2002 requesting of the AG that he exercise his powers under section 24(1) of the Coroners Act, 1962 and direct the holding of a fresh inquest into the death of Seamus Ludlow.

The AG's representative wrote: 

I am now pleased to inform you that the Attorney General has acceded to that request, which you have made on behalf of the relatives of Mr Ludlow.

The Attorney has, by a recent letter, directed the Coroner for County Louth, Mr Ronan Maguire BL to hold an inquest into the death of Seamus Ludlow.

As yet no further details as to the date of this new inquest are available. 

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18 July 2002 - In  an early morning radio interview on local LMFM, in which he spoke about the expected fresh inquest into the death of his uncle Seamus Ludlow, Jimmy Sharkey also spoke of the Ludlow family's demand for a public inquiry.

LMFM reported the latest development in the Ludlow family's campaign for justice on its website as follows:

INQUEST NOT EXPECTED UNTIL 2003

THE FAMILY OF THE NORTH LOUTH MAN MURDERED BY LOYALISTS 26 YEARS AGO SAY THEY DON’T EXPECT A NEW INQUEST INTO HIS DEATH TO BE HELD UNTIL EARLY NEXT YEAR. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL RORY BRADY HAS CONFIRMED THAT HE HAS ORDERED LOUTH COUNTY CORONER RONAN MAGUIRE TO OPEN A FRESH INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF SEAMUS LUDLOW.

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19 July 2002 - See reports of the new development in The Irish News and The Irish Independent.

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20 July 2002 - Ludlow family member Jimmy Sharkey comments on the proposed fresh inquest in this week's edition of the Dundalk Democrat:

Although it is not known yet when the inquest will open, Jimmy said his family did not mind a few months wait, after twenty-six years, to ensure that it will be fully prepared.

"Two of the three bullets used in Seamus' murder were sent to Northern Ireland for forensic examination and up until last March hadn't been traced. One bullet may still be in the South, though its not certain. These bullets are going to have to be traced.

"Also, the authorities never returned Seamus' clothes and so they should still be in storage somewhere".

In the meantime, the family are continuing to be involved with the Inquiry being carried out by Justice Henry Barron. But they insist that both the inquest and inquiry will be dealt with as two different issues.

As Jimmy explained: "it's twenty-six years since Seamus was murdered. Anything that comes along now can only help us. We see the inquest as yet another step, but we don't want a half-hearted effort. we want a fully-prepared inquest with all the information presented, including forensics and ballistics".

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20 July 2002 - Local LMFM Radio again reported on the recently announced fresh inquest for the murdered Seamus Ludlow:

LUDLOW FAMILY WANT SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS

THE FAMILY OF THE NORTH LOUTH MAN MURDERED BY LOYALISTS 26 YEARS AGO SAY THEY WANT THE NEW INQUEST INTO HIS DEATH TO BE KEPT SEPARATE FROM THE INQUIRY INTO HIS KILLING. EARLIER THIS WEEK THE ATTORNEY GENERAL RORY BRADY CONFIRMED HE HAS INSTRUCTED THE LOUTH COUNTY CORONER RONAN MAGUIRE TO CARRY OUT A FRESH INQUIRY INTO THE DEATH OF SEAMUS LUDLOW.

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28 July 2002 - Mr Bernard Moffatt, Secretary General of the Celtic League organization, a valued supporter of the Ludlow family's demands for truth and justice, reports on the Celtic League's Annual General Meeting, which was held over the weekend. The AGM discussed recent developments in the Ludlow campaign and a statement was issued.

The Celtic League renewed its support by passing the following resolution:

"This AGM: Whilst welcoming the decision of Attorney General, Rory Brady, to instruct the Coroner for County Louth, Mr. Ronan Maguire BL, to hold an inquest into the death of Seamus Ludlow, the Celtic League reiterates its support for the Ludlow families request for a full and independent public enquiry."

See Mr Moffatt's full statement elsewhere in our Ludlow family website.

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23 August 2002 - The Argus (Dundalk) featured an article headlined Coroner wants the law changed to compel witnesses to attend inquests in which it is noted that the Coroners Act (1962) does not command the compulsory attendance of witnesses at inquests in Ireland. It remains to be seen whether this has implications for the proposed fresh inquest into the death of Seamus Ludlow. 

Use the link above to read the Argus report in our press coverage section in our Ludlow family website.

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21 September 2002 - In a statement  Mr Bernard Moffatt, Secretary General, Celtic League, comments on a disappointing reply he received from the Taoiseach's office regarding his recent letter regarding the Seamus Ludlow case. 

In Mr Moffatt's view of the failure of the Irish government to move to a public inquiry into the murder of Seamus Ludlow it is "almost as if casting a light on the darker side of these British Special Operations in Ireland was now an embarrassment to be set aside".

 Mr Moffatt concludes: "The reply is extremely disappointing. Experience tells us that selective examination of matters of this nature, however eminent the Justice involved, lack the 'cauterising' ability of a full public enquiry to unearth the truth."

Use the following link to read the full text of Mr Moffatt's statement in our Ludlow family web site. 

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21 September 2002 - In an article in The Dundalk Democrat, under the headline: Barron investigations lead to public inquiry into Dundalk bombing it is reported that the current Barron Inquiry into the Dundalk and Dublin/Monaghan bombings is expected to recommend a full public inquiry into it and other atrocities. The report notes:

"According to this month's edition of Magill Magazine, Justice Barron, who has been conducting an inquiry into the bombings, will not "shy away" from drawing adverse inferences from the lack of British Military co-operation received so far. . . "

Use the link above to find the Democrat's full report in our press coverage section. 

Use this link to read the article that appeared in the September 2002 edition of Magill Magazine that was the basis for the Democrat's report.

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21 December 2002 : The Dundalk Democrat reports the publication of investigative  journalist Joe Tiernan's controversial new book The Dublin-Monaghan Bombings and the Murder Triangle. 

The book, which has been 16 years in the writing, examines the circumstances surrounding the Dundalk, Dublin, Monaghan and Castleblaney bombings as well as the murder of Seamus Ludlow and the Reavey brothers, and many other loyalist atrocities on both sides of the border during the 1970s. 

The author identifies many of those who took part in these murderous acts, for which no one has ever been brought to justice.

Please use the link above to read the Dundalk Democrat's report.

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4 January 2003 - This photograph from the recent launch of Joe Tiernan's new book appeared in the Dundalk Democrat.

Joe Tiernan signs his book, "The Dublin and Monaghan Bombings and the Murder Triangle", for Maura McKeever, daughter of Jack Rooney, who was killed in the Dundalk bomb in Crowe Street, and Jimmy Sharkey, nephew of murdered Mountpleasant man, Seamus Ludlow. (Caption from The Dundalk Democrat)

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27 February 2003 - The Ludlow family lawyer received a letter from Mr Justice Henry Barron. Some of the points raised by Mr Justice Barron included:

	It has been said that although there were several possibilities considered as to how Seamus Ludlow came to his death, there was no evidence to support any of them.
	The inquiry has seen intelligence passed to the security section of an garda Siochana suggesting that Seamus Ludlow was murdered because he was an informer. Gardai to whom the Inquiry has spoken do not accept this.
	It has been suggested that there were murders of persons in the Dundalk area who had accidentally come across information or had spoken a word out of turn.
	At present the progress of the Inquiry has been slowed owing to the absence of any information being received from outside the jurisdiction.

The above points indicate that there were indeed elements within the Gardai who helped spread lies about Seamus Ludlow being an informer who was murdered by the IRA - claims that were privately made to members of the Ludlow family by individual gardai on several occasions. Sometimes this lie was amended to a claim that Seamus Ludlow was murdered by the IRA perhaps because he saw something while he was engaged in his work close to the border at Ravensdale Forest. Yet another lie that has been bandied about for a number of years.

The final statement reveals the continued indifference to truth and justice in this sad affair that exists within the British PSNI police force and the British Army in the Six Counties, who are giving no assistance to Mr Justice Barron.

The PSNI (formerly the RUC) had a file on the known killers of Seamus Ludlow since at least 1977, and it is clear that they have important evidence that could be of help to Mr Justice Barron. Since at least two of Seamus Ludlow's killers were members of the British Army's Ulster Defence Regiment it is clear that the British army could also be helpful if they were so inclined.

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27 February 2003: See BBC report, Troubles victims fund set up

The Dublin Government announce that a new  £2m fund for relatives of victims of the Troubles has been set up .

The money will be allocated to people in the Irish Republic.

The fund is one of the Irish Government's obligations under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Among those expected to benefit are relatives of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings and the Dundalk bombing 19 December 1975 and the other victims of Loyalist murder gangs in the 26 Counties.

Read the BBC's full report of 28 February 2003.

Meanwhile, there has been another call for a public inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan Loyalist car bombings in 1974, and another murderous explosion in Dundalk in December 1975.

The Justice For The Forgotten group, representing most of the survivors and the family's of the murdered victims of Dublin/Monaghan, says it is furious with the British Government over it's failure to co-operate in a meaningful way with the Barron Inquiry.

The Barron Commission is investigating the Dublin and Monaghan car bombs in 1974 and a December 1975 explosion in Dundalk. Mr Justice Barron is also investigating the murder of Seamus Ludlow.

Read the Irish Examiner's full report of 27 February 2003.

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5 March 2003: See The Irish News report: 

Family's wait for murder file over

 
The relatives of Seamus Ludlow are for the first time to be given access to the garda file on his murder 27 years after he was gunned down by loyalists.  . .

Use the link above to read the full report.

See also: The Dundalk Democrat, 8 March 2003: Ludlow murder: files to be made available

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7 March 2003 - A special plaque was unveiled on Main Street, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, in memory of Patrick Mone who was murdered by loyalists in the no-warning car bombing of that town just a few weeks before the murder of Seamus Ludlow. A member of the Ludlow family was in attendance.

Patrick Mone was another forgotten victim of loyalist murderers in the border area. His killers have never been arrested, although they have been identified many years now.

See report from The Dundalk Democrat, 15 March 2003. 

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8 March 2003 - Mr Bernard Moffatt of the Celtic League made the following comments in a press release about the recent press reports that the Ludlow family would have access to the gardai's original murder investigation files:

The Ludlow family are reported as having greeted the news that the files will be released with "caution". Indeed they should be cautious because it has become quite clear from the machinations down through the years to obstruct explanation and the bringing to justice the killers of Seamus Ludlow that a cover-up at the highest level has been undertaken.

Quite clearly their caution is warranted because in the present climate of peace and reconciliation there are vested interests within both the Irish and British administrations which do not wish to have too much scrutiny focused on the activities of the loyalist 'commandos', armed and supported by British Intelligence, which waged a dirty war of killings and bombings in the south of Ireland in the 1970s.

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10 March 2003: Received from Justice for the Forgotten:

Good Day,

Justice for the Forgotten represents a large number of the bereaved and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974 as well as the Dublin bombings of 1 December 1972 and 20 January 1973.

We have recently put our new website on line and would be grateful if you could add the site to the list of links on your page: http://www.seamusludlow.com/links.htm

Our web site address: http://www.dublinmonaghanbombings.org

We would be happy to maintain a link to the the Seamus Ludlow Campaign on our website as well.

Best regards,

Patrick O'Connor (on behalf of Margaret Urwin)

Justice for the Forgotten Limited
64-66 Lower Gardiner Street
Dublin 1

Tel No: 00353-1-8554300
Fax No: 00353-1-8193258
e-mail: [email protected]

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13 March 2003: The Ludlow family meet with the Louth County Coroner Ronan Maguire and take possession of a copy of the gardai's original murder investigation file from 1976. 

At first glance the file contains only witness statements made by the people who found the victim's body and by various gardai involved in the investigation, as well as friends  and relatives of the late Seamus Ludlow. Much of the document is barely legible and it appears to be incomplete.

The Ludlow family are disappointed that there is little in the file that adds to their understanding of the behaviour of the gardai at that time, and that there is no sign of the important forensics and ballistics reports. See The Irish News, 21 March 2003.

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31 March 2003 - The following brief assessment of the garda file was made by Jane Winter, British Irish Rights Watch (BIRW), London, in her monthly Directors Report :

SEAMUS LUDLOW

At long last the inquest papers in the case of Seamus Ludlow, cruelly murdered near Dundalk in 1976, have come to light.  We believe that he was murdered by loyalists, some of whom were serving soldiers, who came over the border from Northern Ireland.  The inquest papers have thrown up new leads in the case, which is currently being examined by Judge Henry Barron.  Seamus Ludlow was a harmless man and an innocent victim who we think may have made the mistake of accepting a lift from his murderers.  The older members of his family died without seeing any justice; we hope that those who remain will not have to wait much longer.  

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Latest:  Revised: March 12, 2005.