The Irish News, 27 March 2003:

Government 'will not keep Ludlow secrets'

By Valerie Robinson

The family of Seamus Ludlow has given a guarded welcome to reports that the Irish government will release details of a report into the 1976 murder.

Mr Ludlow's nephew Jimmy Sharkey last night said relatives had adopted a "wait and see attitude" to comment by the Republic's Justice Minister Michael McDowell regarding the killing.

The minister, who was instrumental in ordering a second inquest into the forestry worker's death at the hands of four loyalists close to the border, told reporters that the government did not want to keep secret a report being compiled on the killing by Justice Henry Barron.

Mr McDowell said that the government would publish Justice Barron's findings "as far as it is legally possible".

Mr Sharkey said he welcomed news that authorities in the Republic planned to release information on the judge's findings but expressed concern that the report might not be published in full.

"We would obviously prefer to see the whole report," he added.

Meanwhile, a second nephew Michael Donegan has claimed that a letter relatives received recently from Justice Barron backed claims that lies had been spread about his uncle during the murder investigation.

Judge Barron, investigating the Dublin/Monaghan and Dundalk bombings as well as the Ludlow killing, said that he had seen intelligence passed to the Garda's security section claiming that the forestry worker was shot by the IRA as an informer. He added, however, that gardai to whom he had spoken did not accept the claim.

"The comment confirms what we have been saying all along - that there were elements in the gardai, as well as the British army and RUC, who were spreading lies about Uncle Seamus," said Mr Donegan.

The family's solicitor is now planning to pursue the issue with judge Barron as well as the revelation that the inquiry's progress was being "slowed owing to the absence of any information being received from outside the jurisdiction".

"The 'reformed' PSNI is apparently perpetuating the shameful indifference to truth in this sad affair that had been maintained by the RUC for more than 25 years after the murder of Uncle Seamus," Mr Donegan said.

I Homepage I I Top

The Argus, 27 August 1976: Inquest hears of North Louth shooting

Monaghan County of Intrigue (1979) by the late Michael Cunningham: Quoting from Mr. Cunningham's account of his private investigation of Seamus Ludlow's murder.

The Irish Independent, 19 July 2002: Fresh inquest into death of murdered man

The Irish News, 19 July 2002: Family welcome inquest 26 years after murder

The Dundalk Democrat, 20 July 2002: Second inquest to be held into the death of Seamus Ludlow

The Irish News 5 March 2003: Family's wait for murder file over

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

Celtic League - LUDLOW KILLING - ANOTHER STEP ON THE ROAD TO JUSTICE? - 08/03/2003

The Irish News, 11 March 2003: Family 'cautious' over inquest progress

I Homepage I I Top I  I Barron Inquiry I I Terms of reference for Barron Inquiry I I BIRW Report I I New Guest Book I

Copyright © 2003 the Ludlow family. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 12, 2005 .