The Murder of Seamus Ludlow in County Louth, May 1976. Towards a public inquiry?

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 July 2002 - The Irish Attorney General has directed the Coroner for County Louth to hold a fresh inquest into the death of Seamus Ludlow.  . . . . Please return for updates and important developments.    This photograph of Seamus Ludlow was taken later in his life.This is a youthful photograph of Seamus Ludlow, taken several years before his murder.This memorial stone marks the place where the dead body of Seamus Ludlow was discovered on Sunday 2nd. May, 1976. This new stone recently replaced another stone.

 

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The Irish News, 11 May 1999:

Family of victim hits out at RUC and gardai

By Aeneas Bonner

The family of Seamus Ludlow, murdered by loyalists near Dundalk in 1976, yesterday accused the Garda and the RUC of trying to "fob off" demands for a public inquiry into the killing.

Nephew Michael Donegan said letters received recently from both police forces refusing access to the murder files were "another attempt at covering up the true story".

Mr Ludlow (47), a forestry worker from the border area, was picked up in a car while hitchhiking from Dundalk and his body dumped within half a mile of his home.

The family said they were told at the time by gardai that the IRA was responsible for the killing, although this was denied by the IRA.

New information has come to light in the last two years, including evidence from a south Down loyalist who Implicated three other loyalists in the murder, including members of the Red Hand Commandos and UDR.

A file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in Belfast last October and an inquiry has also been completed by gardai, although the family insist only a public inquiry will reveal the truth.

Mr Donegan said yesterday: "They are both trying to fob us off, we are getting nowhere with them. They say an inquiry is being held and ask us to believe despite having lied to us for for nearly 25 years.

"If they want to tell us our suspicions are false, they must prove it by releasing  the files or having a public inquiry. We are not going to take their word for it - we've been lied to for too long."

Mr Donegan believes a cover-up was ordered on both sides of the border to prevent details emerging of collusion in a number of cross-border murders.

He said the family's now waiting for the DPP's decision before deciding its next move, although the campaign for a public inquiry will continue regardless of any criminal charges being brought.

"People in smart suits have been covering up for years behind these loyalists. They didn't go to kill Seamus Ludlow, he was just a poor Catholic man in the wrong place, but despite this the RUC and gardai then treated him like nothing," he said.

"The men were sent by someone in the northern security forces, and we want these people to be revealed. We also want the people who lied afterwards and blacked my uncle's (name) to answer for what they did."

The campaign for a public inquiry has won the support of a number of human rights groups, five TDs, two MPs and Newry and Mourne district council.

Members of the family have also been invited to lay a wreath at the 25th commemoration of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings to be held this Sunday.

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