The Murder of Seamus Ludlow in County Louth, May 1976. Towards a public inquiry?
The Murder of Seamus Ludlow in County Louth, May 1976. Towards a public inquiry?
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Introduction to the murder of Seamus Ludlow and the official cover-up. Michael Cunningham investigation - 1978 The recent Campaign for Truth and Justice. Irish Victims Commission Report. Ludlow family's questions for the RUC (now the PSNI). Jim J. Kane's letter to the N I Human Rights Commission. Jim J. Kane's letter to the RUC Ludlow Family Letter to Bertie Ahern Other Ludlow Family Sites. |
The Belfast Telegraph, 10 October 1998: Who really murdered Seamus Ludlow? By Chris Thornton Calls for an independent inquiry into the murder 22 years ago of a Dundalk man were growing today, as questions continue about police handling of the case on both sides of the border. The body of Seamus Ludlow (47) was found near his Co Louth home on May 2, 1976. The bachelor forestry worker had been shot three times. For years, his death was blamed on the IRA. His family say gardai told them he had been shot over accusations that he was an informer. But earlier this year, a witness to the murder came forward to claim that Mr Ludlow was killed by three loyalist paramilitaries who were also members of the UDR. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is the latest to join calls for an inquiry. He told a rally in Dundalk this week: "Seamus Ludlow was clearly killed by agents of the British" Mr Ludlow's family claim his death was the subject of "a major cross-border conspiracy . . . to conceal the identity of the killers". They claim a cover-up was undertaken to protect at least one of the killers who may have been an intelligence operative for the security forces. The RUC reopened the investigation into the murder this year, questioning four men about the killing A file on the case was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. One of the men, Newtownards man Paul Hosking, went public earlier this year to tell his version of the killing. He said that on the day of the murder he had been drinking in Comber with three members of the Red Hand Commando who also belonged to the UDR. They headed over the border to continue drinking and eventually picked up Mr Ludlow as he hitchhiked home from a pub, The car soon stopped to let Mr Hosking go to the toilet and he said he heard three shots and turned around to see one of his companions shooting Mr Ludlow. Mr Hosking claims he was threatened and told to keep quiet - but broke his silence in 1987 to tell an RUC Special Branch officer about the murder. Mr Ludlow's family are angry that no action was apparently taken at that stage. They are also angry with the Garda. They say officers told them the IRA was behind the killing, but claim gardai had been given the killers' names by the RUC in 1976. They also say Garda officers sowed dissent by hinting that a family member had handed Mr Ludlow over to the Provos.
I Homepage I I Top I I Press Coverage I See also: The Sunday Tribune, Sunday 17 October 1999, by Ed Moloney: North's DPP has decided not to charge Loyalists arrested in connection with Ludlow killing
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