Please show your support by signing our guestbook. Click on the link below.

Justice at last for the forgotten victims of sectarian murder in Dundalk

Home

Relative's Message

Tragedy Recalled

Profile

Press Release

Campaign Links

25 Years On.

Alleged Collusion

Magill Magazine article Sept. 2002

27th Anniversary

Victims Fund Established

30th Anniversary

The Barron Report

Collusion exposed by Oireachtas Committee

Latest

Your Comments

Support

Links

Guestbook

Send us an e-mail

 

Search Allof Ireland.com

 

The Newry Democrat, 11 July 2006:

 

Collusion summit call

By Donal O'Reilly

A Newry and Mourne District councillor who was injured in a loyalist attack in 1975 has demanded that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Prime Minister Tony Blair hold a summit meeting to discuss the collusion issue.

Fews representative Jimmy McCreesh was commenting in the light of the final report on the mater by Mr Justice Henry Barron, a former judge of the Republic's Supreme Court. Amongst the conclusions reached by Mr Justice Barron was that the family farm of an RUC reservist, which was near Newtownhamilton, was used as a base from which the UVF carried out attacks on both sides of the border.

Councillor McCreesh was wounded when loyalists launched a gun and bomb attack on Donnelly's Bar in Silverbridge on December 19, 1975. Three people - Trevor Brecknell, Patrick Donnelly and Michael Donnelly, the 14-year-old son of the bar owner were killed.

The attack was claimed by the Red Hand Commando. However, there have been persistent rumours of security force collusion and an RUC reservist was eventually charged with withholding information. In 1981, the charges were dropped at Belfast Crown Court after the prosecution offered no evidence.

Following Mr Justice Barron's report, Mr McCreesh has also urged Mr Ahern to press Mr Blair to ensure that the security forces co-operate with the Oireachtas Committee which will now consider the Barron report findings.

"The latest report from Judge Barron reinforces the case that the Mid-Ulster UVF which was responsible for the fatal bombings at Dublin, Monaghan, Dundalk, Castleblayney and other attacks acted in collusion with British crown forces," he said. "The Taoiseach should press the British Prime Minister to require the British crown forces to co-operate fully with the hearings that will be held by the Oireachtas Committee concerning the Barron Report, including attending the hearings in Dublin. Nothing less is acceptable."

In May Trevor Brecknell's widow Anne failed in an attempt to obtain a judicial review of the decision to drop charges against the RUC reservist and another suspect, both of whom wee accused of withholding information about the attack on Donnelly's Bar.

The Cullyhanna woman, who gave birth to a baby girl two days before her husband's murder, told the Democrat that she was "disappointed but not really surprised" when her application was thrown out on a technicality.

She also claimed that the establishment had succeeded in throwing a veil of silence over her husband's murder for years and reiterated her strong belief that there was collusion.

I Top I  

Download the Barron Report on the Dundalk bombing from the Oireachtas website.

This document is in Adobe PDF format and can be downloaded from the link below.

Interim Report on the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Bombing of Kay's Tavern, Dundalk.

Houses of the Oireachtas, Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights.

Download the free reader software for Adobe PDF format

I Top I  

See the Irish News: "Relatives 'furious' over Barron report blunder

See also The Irish News online breaking news, 5 July 2006: Pub bombers 'treated better than victims' families'

See also: Oireachtas press release of 5 July 2006.

Daily Ireland, 6 July 2006: Blast victim’s relative hits out

The Irish Examiner, 6 July 2006: Loyalists had licence to kill Catholics, finds inquiry

The Irish Independent, 6 July 2006: Bombers 'treated better than victims'

The Irish News, 6 July 2006: Relatives want 1975 bombing inquiry

The Irish News, 6 July 2006: Horror lives on for bar owner

The Irish News, 6 July 2006: Report points to RUC reservist's farm as base for UVF operations

The Irish News, 6 July 2006: Hope that collusion theories may be brought to surface

The Irish Times, 6 July 2006: 1970s bombing victims complain of official neglect

LMFM Radio online news report, 6 July 2006: Hearings into report on Dundalk bombing to begin in September

TOM News, 6 July 2006: Latest Barron Report Highlights Need for Ahern-Blair Summit on Collusion

Daily Ireland, 7 July 2006: Taoiseach urged to call summit

Daily Ireland, 7 July 2006: Barron inquiry typically leaves more questions than answers Conclusion of report into collusion allegations between loyalists and the British government is 'unsatisfactory'

Daily Ireland, 7 July 2006: Families to discuss Barron report

The Irish News of the World, 9 July 2006: Showband massacre: shocking new report Former cop behind plot

The Examiner (Newry and South Armagh), 18 July 2006: Report highlights need for truth on collusion issue.

I Top I  

Produced in association with the Ludlow Family.

Last edited: 24 December 2006 16:23:12

 Visit the Ludlow family's websiteVisit Justice for the Forgotten  Statement by John Oliver Weir

Download the Barron Inquiry Report into the 17 May 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, (pdf file)

Barron Report: on the Dublin Bombings of 1972 and 1973, can also be downloaded in pdf form

Download the Barron Report into the murder of Seamus Ludlow from the Oireachtas website (pdf file)

Copyright © 2006 the Rooney, Watters and Ludlow families. 

All rights reserved. Revised: December 24, 2006 .