This page features
contributors to this web site, with links to
featured pages.
Jimmy
Sharkey:
Jane
Winter:
Linda
Porra:
Jim J. Kane:
Margaret
Urwin
Jimmy Sharkey, originally
from Thistlecross, Mountpleasant, and now
living in Dromiskin, County Louth, is a
nephew of the late Seamus Ludlow. Jimmy grew
up in the same house as Seamus and he roomed
with him. Together with his uncle Kevin
Ludlow he has been prominent in the Ludlow
family's search for truth and justice for
many years. Jimmy was the first Ludlow family
member to be informed of the truth of the
Gardai and RUC cover-up when he was
approached by an investigative journalist
some years ago.
The journalist informed
Jimmy that he had heard from an ex- Garda
source that Seamus Ludlow's Loyalist killers
had in fact been identified many years ago
despite Garda claims to the contrary. The Profile
written by Jimmy and published here has
already appeared on the Pat Finucane Centre's website
and the Ludlow family's first site.
Back to Top.
Jane Winter has been a
valued supporter of the Ludlow family's
campaign for truth and justice from the
moment she was informed of this grave
injustice in 1998. The BIRW Report on The
Death of Seamus Ludlow was
published in February 1999. Jane Winter flew
to Dublin on the morning of 18 February for a
gruelling day of engagements on behalf of the
Ludlow family. After a press conference at
Buswells Hotel, Dublin, she later attended a
very successful public meeting at Dundalk
Town Hall for the official launch of her
Report.
Jane Winter flew over
again later in the year for the Ludlow
family's meeting with the Irish Minister for
Justice, Mr. O'Donoghue.
The
following appraisal of Jane Winter and her tireless work in
defence of human rights with British Irish Rights Watch,
comes from a web page compiled by Liberty
for
the Human Rights Awards 1999. Jane Winter was a worthy
nominee:
Jane Winter is a founder member
and Director of British Irish Rights Watch. BIRW's
activities include:
Researching alleged human rights
violations resulting from the conflict in Northern
Ireland; Sending independent observers to inquests, trials
and inquiries; Providing consultancy services for lawyers;
Making representations to governments and international
human rights bodies including the UN; Making third party
interventions in human rights cases and providing expert
testimony.
Recent examples of BIRW's work
include:
As a result of a comprehensive
report delivered to the UK Government in February 1999
concerning the 1989 murder of lawyer Patrick Finucane and
others, a police investigation into his death has been
launched. So far, six arrests have been made and one
person charged with murder.
Following the murder of lawyer
Rosemary Nelson in March 1999, Jane has followed the
investigation with her customary determination in order to
ensure that it is thorough, impartial and effective.
In February 1999, BIRW presented
the Irish Government with a report about the case of
Seamus Ludlow, which has been instrumental in persuading
them to hold an inquiry into the case. Seamus Ludlow was
apparently murdered by the Red Hand Commando and two of
the four assassins were allegedly serving members of the
UDR at the time. BIRW raised the serious questions as to
why the killers were able to strike over the Irish border
and why both the RUC and the Garda Siochana appear to have
covered up the truth about the murder. BIRW continues to
campaign to hold the inquiry in public rather than behind
closed doors.
BIRW has monitored and assisted
Billy Gorman's case since 1993. He was convicted in 1980
of the 1974 murder of an RUC constable. He was 14 years
old at the time of the murder, and said that his ill
treatment in custody led him to make a false confession.
He was the first ever case to be referred back to the
Northern Ireland Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases
Review Commission.
"Jane Winter combines
considerable diplomatic skills with a steely persistence
to see the truth told and wrongs righted. The fact that
violations of human rights are now acknowledged as a key
dimension of the causes of the conflict, and respect for
human rights work as an essential element of any lasting
peace is, in no small part, due to her work."
Mel James, International Human
Rights Committee,The Law Society
Back to Top.
Linda Porra, from
Southbridge, Massachusetts, is an activist
with Irish
Organisations United. Together
with her colleague Jim J. Kane, Scranton, PA,
Linda has commenced a letter writing campaign
in the United States. They have written on
the Ludlow family's behalf to politicians,
human rights groups and to the press.
They are a valuable
asset to the Ludlow family's campaign for
truth and justice, not least because they are
not subject to the mail tampering that the
Ludlow family has experienced. Many letters
posted from Ireland have never reached their
destination, evidently because the British
authorities are terrified of the truth about
Seamus Ludlow becoming more widely known.
Linda Porra's Editorial
to the press in support of the Ludlow
family's campaign is featured on another page
in this Ludlow family web site.
Linda, whose Irish family
name was Davis, with origins in Wales, has
long been interested in Irish affairs, as her web
site clearly suggests. Linda gives
the following brief statement describing her
personal life on her site . . .
"To start, I have been married
for 7yrs. as of Nov. 5, 1999. I have 3
children, my oldest son is 11 and my
other son is 6 and my daughter is 5. Plus
I do Daycare out of my home full time. We
live a full life in Massachusetts. Both
my husband and myself like to play on the
computer. Of course so do our
kids.."
Back to Top.
Jim
J. Kane: I See Letter to Northern
Ireland Human Rights Commissioner I I See Letter
to RUC Chief Constable I
Jim Kane,
From Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA, is a leading activist with Irish
Organisations United and an associate of Linda Porra.
Together they have been active supporters of the Ludlow
family's campaign for truth and justice. Jim has written
numerous letters in support of the Ludlow family's demands to
newspapers, politicians and other people of influence in the
United States, Ireland and Britain. Jim's letter
Professor Brice Dickson, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission can be viewed from
a link above.
Jim Kane has also written to
Ronnie Flanagan, Chief Constable, Royal Ulster Constabulary.
That letter and its eventual reply can also be accessed from a
link above.
Margaret
Urwin, Secretary, Justice for the Forgotten, Dublin: I Press
Release: 13 June 2000 I
Margaret
Urwin kindly gave permission for the publication of Justice for the
Forgotten's press release on this Ludlow family web site. Margaret and
the relatives of the dead, injured and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan
bombings have been very close and kind to the Ludlow family for quite some
time.
Indeed, on the
occasion of the 25th anniversary of the murderous multiple bombing of Dublin and
Monaghan, in May 1999, Justice for the Forgotten issued a special invitation for
the Ludlow family to lay a wreath at the imposing memorial to all the dead of
that terrible day in Talbot Street.
The Ludlow family
circle was honoured to send a representative group spanning several generations to attend on
that occasion to pay tribute to fellow victims of state murder and
collusion in our capitol city.
There are several
links to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings campaign on the Ludlow family's Links
page.
The
following passage is a press release from Justice for the Forgotten and
it comes from a page compiled by the Cain
Project:
Our campaign for truth and justice was established in January 1996 and is
gathering momentum in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the Dublin and
Monaghan bombings.
The 17th May 1974, in Dublin and Monaghan, saw the greatest loss of life in
a single day in the history of 'the Troubles'. Nobody was ever charged, or
even questioned, about these murders.
We are, at present, representative of approximately half of the victims and
many of the injured and are anxious to hear from others who may have lost
loved ones or sustained injuries, either physical or psychological.
For further details please contact:
The Secretary
Justice for the Forgotten
PO Box 6790
Dublin 15
e-mail address: [email protected]
Back to Top
SUPPORT THE
SEAMUS LUDLOW APPEAL FUND
Bank of Ireland
78 Clanbrassil Street
Dundalk
County Louth
Ireland
Account No. 70037984
Thank You.
|