The
47-year-old was murdered by a loyalist gang, two of whom were members of
the Ulster Defence Regiment, in Dundalk in May 1976. Nobody has been
prosecuted in connection with his death.
For two
decades the gardaí accused the IRA of carrying out the killing, despite
being told by RUC Special Branch detectives that the murder was the work
of Co Down loyalists.
In 1996 the
Ludlow family said they believed loyalists were responsible.
This forced
the Irish government to commission judge Henry Barron’s report into the
murder.
The 105-page investigation, published yesterday, found that the gardaí
failed to pursue those responsible for fear that the IRA might attack
police in the Republic for co-operating with the RUC in the North.
Barron
stated that any such co-operation with the RUC might be perceived as
acceding sovereignty to the British government. However, the findings
failed to impress Mr Ludlow’s relatives.
Family spokesman Jimmy Sharkey accused the Irish government of not wanting
to unearth the truth about his uncle’s killing for fear of upsetting the
British.
He said:
“This was an official policy which also affected those that died in the
loyalist Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974, and the Dundalk bombing the
following year.
“As far as
the Irish and British governments were concerned the IRA was public enemy
number one, they were happy to see every atrocity in the south blamed on
them. The gardai had no intention of catching my uncle’s killers. It was
all too easy for them to blame his death on the IRA.”
Sinn Féin Dáil
leader, Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin, called on the Irish government to demand
full co-operation from the British government on the Ludlow murder.
He said:
“As in the case of his Dublin and Monaghan bombings investigation, the
work of Judge Barron has been hampered by a lack of co-operation from the
British authorities.
“He has
concluded that he finds it hard to accept that documents he requested do
not exist.
“At his
next meeting with Tony Blair, the Taoiseach must insist on full
co-operation from the British authorities with the forthcoming hearings on
this latest Barron Report.
“This must include making available witnesses and documentation.”
