The Barron Inquiry - Draft Terms of Reference for Inquiry - A Fresh Inquest - 2005 Inquest Account - BIRW Report - Witness Account - Ludlow Family Account - Sunday World report May 1976 - Meeting the Police Ombudsman - Ed Moloney Radio Interview - 25th Anniversary - Profile - Questions - Photographs - Press Release - Letter to RUC - Magill article 1999 - Press Coverage - Barron Report Published - Ludlow Family Response to Barron Report - Download the Barron Report from the Oireachtas website (pdf file) - Statement from Justice for the Forgotten - Joint Oireachtas Committee Request for Submissions - Joint statement from Justice for the Forgotten, Relatives for Justice and the Pat Finucane Centre - Download Transcript of Ludlow family meeting with Oireachtas Sub-Committee (Word file)
Original Ludlow Family website - Second Ludlow Family website - The Dundalk Bombing
Family Of Murdered Louth Man Claims Gardaí Treated Them Badly
Christine Newman
The family of a Co Louth man murdered in 1976 said yesterday that gardaí treated them very badly over 30 years and told them only lies.
Yesterday the family of Séamus Ludlow, who worked in a sawmill, also called for a full independent public inquiry into his murder. Solicitor James McGuill described the family as ordinary and law-abiding, who found themselves in a set of completely life-changing circumstances which was compounded by the State authorities.
The family were giving their accounts for the first time at a public inquiry into the Barron report on the murder which began yesterday at an Oireachtas justice sub-committee.
The Barron report says that the RUC told the Garda in 1979 it believed four named loyalists were involv! ed in Mr Ludlow's killing, but this information was not pursued by the Garda.
No one has ever been charged with the murder of Mr Ludlow (47), a single man. He was shot dead on May 2nd, 1976, as he went home from a night out. The Barron report said he had no connections with any subversive organisation.
Yesterday his brother, Kevin , said gardaí treated the family very badly. He broke down as he said: "When I saw the body to identify him, I just couldn't believe it."
Mr Ludlow said gardaí had implied that his brother was an informer for the IRA and said the IRA did it.
"Seamus definitely had nothing to do with the IRA," he said.
"We shouldn't have to go through all of this for 30 years. It wasn't fair what was done to us. They were covering up the whole thing all the time. It's a shame to think of the way the gardaí acted. We were treated very badly. Nothing only lies from the gardaí."
Mr Ludlow said they had thought the gardaí would tell them something, but they could not even tell them when the inquest was in 1976.
"The gardaí never even said sorry for anything. Will it ever come? I don't know," he said. He added that he thought the family should get an apology.
Michael Donegan , nephew, told of his father, Kevin Donegan, opening the door in Co Louth to members of the UDR. He was taken away for interrogation by helicopter to Northern Ireland and brought back after an hour.
"A murder in Dundalk shouldn't have been any of their business, and I believe the British army knew about it from day one," he said.
Mr Ludlow's sister, Nan Sharkey, said her brother was "a very good fellow. He never gave any trouble. He was very kind. He kept to himself".
© The Irish Times
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Revised: January 29, 2006