The Irish
News, 4 November 2005:
Ludlow
murder 'a random sectarian killing
By Senan
Hogan PA
A Government
report in the Republic into the 1976 murder of Seamus Ludlow has not been
able to clearly establish who killed him, it emerged last night.
The 100-page
probe by Mr Justice Henry Barron said the Dundalk forestry worker's death
was a random sectarian killing of an innocent Catholic by loyalist
extremists.
A special
Oireachtas sub-committee, which finally published the document last night
in Dublin, refused to comment on its content or preempt the findings of
the sub-committee.
The report,
released under full parliamentary privilege, states that mr Ludlow was
picked up in a car in May 1976 by four men: James Fitzsoimmons, Richard
Long, Samuel Carroll and Paul Hosking.
The report
said: "Information obtained by the RUC from Hosking suggested that it
was Carroll who shot Seamus Ludlow.
"The
inquiry has not been in a position to test the veracity of this
allegation."
Mr Justice
Barron said he had no evuidence that Mr Ludlow had any republican
sympathies which might have led to him being targeted by loyalist
subversives.
Mr Justice
Baron said his job was made more difficult as documents were lost,
destroyed or misplaced and key witnesses were ill, dead, or unable to
remember important events.
The report
makes no clear findings about allegations by the Ludlow family of
collusion by police forces on both sides of the border.
Mr Ludlow's
nephew, Jimmy Sharkey, said he could only briefly consider the report but
reiterated his family's call for an independent public inquiry with powers
to compel key witnesses. Justice minister Michael McDowell welcomed the
report and said he looked forward to examining recommendations made by the
sub-committee after its public hearings.
He offered
his sincere condolences to Mr Ludlow's family.
