The Dundalk Democrat, 8 November 2003:

Family feel inquiry will make little difference

By Anne-Marie Eaton

Jimmy Sharkey said this week that he does not know if the murder of his uncle, forestry worker, Seamus Ludlow, has been included in the Barron Inquiry Report that has been forwarded to the Taoiseach. 

Seamus Ludlow was shot three times and his body dumped in a ditch down a laneway close to his Mountpleasant home, where it was discovered on May 2, 1976, the day after his disappearance. Over the years, the Ludlow family were continually led to believe that Seamus had been murdered by the IRA. However, all evidence, including that of an eye witness, now indicates he was killed by Loyalist Red Hand Commandos. A monument where his body was found has been updated to reflect this.

“We haven’t heard anything from Barron’s office and so we don’t know if Seamus’ murder has been included, or whether there’s to be a separate report”, Jimmy explained.

The Ludlow family met with Justice Henry Barron twice. However, in the beginning, when the inquiry was first announced, they were not in favour of it, preferring as they always have, a public inquiry.

But with plans to proceed with the inquiry, even though families were not involved, the Ludlows met with him. 

As they wait to hear if Seamus’ murder is included in this report, Jimmy doesn’t feel it will have a great impact. “As has already been said, Barron is probably an honourable man and is probably trying to do his best, but I really don’t think it will make much difference for us.

“We put forward names of people we felt should have been included in the inquiry and they were not.”.

 An eye witness to the murder, Paul Hosking, came forward in recent years and stated that Seamus’ murder was carried out by UDR men with links to the Loyalist Red Hand Commandos. In a published interview, he said he had given the information to the RUC in 1987 and was told: “Forget it, it’s political”. 

Hosking said that he, along with three men, had been travelling in a yellow Datsun from Comber to Killyleagh, on to Omeath and then to Dundalk. Mr Ludlow was hitching a lift home and the car stopped to pick him up.

According to Hosking’s account, Seamus told the men they had driven past his house. The car turned down what is known as the Bog Road and turned into another lane.

 Hosking said he got out of the car and as he had his back turned, he heard gunshots fired. The man who had been sitting in the front seat of the car was shooting into it. Seamus’ body was taken out and dumped in the ditch.

 Paul Hosking put himself in the spotlight and told the public what had happened that night, yet as far as we know, he was not interviewed by Justice Barron.

Jimmy Sharkey believes that another person who should have been interviewed is Police Ombudsman, Nuala O’Loan.

“The family met with Nuala O’Loan and it was a very informative meeting. It would have been useful for Barron to have a conversation with her. Jimmy says he hopes that the Dublin and Monaghan families do make some progress as a result of the Barron Inquiry, but he does not see his uncle’s murderers ever being prosecuted.

“The chances are the main protagonists involved in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings are dead. Those who were involved in Seamus’ murder are still very much alive and we don’t think any of them will be prosecuted,” he said.