The Dundalk Democrat, 30 December 2004:

Second inquest into Ludlow murder

By Anne Marie Eaton

The second inquest into the 1976 death of Seamus Ludlow could open in January.

County Coroner Ronan Maguire in an interview with a national newspaper said having gone through all the information, he could hold a preliminary hearing early in the New Year.

Seamus, a forestry worker was shot and his body dumped in a laneway close to his Mountpleasant home.

In recent years, an eyewitness to rhw murder, Paul Hosking, came forward and said Seamus' murder was carried out by UDR men with links to the Loyalist Red Hand Commandos.

Mr Maguire has previously stated that he had experienced difficulties in receiving information from the Garda authorities.

In more recent times he had encountered problems in receiving a 1990s report into Seamus' murder compiled by Supt. Ted Murphy, now retired. At the time the County Coroner said he would take the mater to the Atorney General but the report, believed to be substantial in size. (. . .)

Mr Maguire in an interview with the Irish News said he had now completed his study of the Murphy Report but he said he could (not) be sure how much detail from the report would be made public during the inquest.

Seamus' murder has also been looked into by Judge Henry Barron who has handed in his report on the killing to the Department of the Taoiseach.

Seamus' nephew Jimmy Sharkey said that the family were happy to hear that the inquest could get underway as early as January, although they were not too sure about the mention of a 'preliminary hearing'.

"We haven't met with Mr Maguire on this and while we would welcome the news that the inquest is almost ready to go ahead, we have concerns that there could be a preliminary hearing." 

The Irish News, 28 December 2004: Murder inquest set for January