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 Times, 30 September 1999:

Relatives condemn bombings inquiry plan


By RODDY O'SULLIVAN

Relatives of victims of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings have strongly condemned the Government's decision to hold a private inquiry into the events.

The Taoiseach told the Dail yesterday a former Supreme Court judge would be appointed to investigate the bombings. The investigation would be conducted in private, but the judge's final report would be published, Mr Ahern said.

The 1976 murder of a Co Louth farmer, Mr Seamus Ludlow, and a bombing in Dundalk in 1975 in which two people were killed would also be investigated.

A statement from the organisation, Justice for the Forgotten, which represents a number of survivors and relatives of victims of the bombings, said the organisation had "no faith in a private inquiry".

It said proposing such an inquiry "adds insult to the injury suffered by the bereaved and wounded". In all, 34 people were killed in the bombings in Dublin and Monaghan and hundreds were injured.

Mr Ahern told the Dail: "We don't have a lot of evidence as I've said here, but we do have some. The advice of Mr Wilson was that we would get a former Supreme Court judge to examine all that was there . . . and to see from that if there is enough to build an inquiry."

Mr Ahern said to set up a public inquiry, "we have to be inquiring into some evidence and into some facts". At the moment, if the bombings were carried out by people from outside the State as many people believed, there were no witnesses to call.

"We don't have the people who drove the cars, we don't have the people who made the bombs, we don't have any of those people," he told the Dail.

Justice for the Forgotten said the Government's reluctance to hold a public inquiry was "bizarre". The organisation's solicitor, Mr Greg O'Neill, said that while the decision of the Government to establish an inquiry was positive, the suggestion that it would be in private was "completely inappropriate".

He said many people in the organisation believed the Government's wish to keep the inquiry private could be attributed only to its desire to keep secret "that which should be revealed".

"The relatives and victims cannot and will not engage in a private inquiry into mass murder and compromised police inquiries into these murders," Mr O'Neill said.

He said the organisation would engage in what "must be a preliminary examination with the chairman of the case for a public inquiry". It would demonstrate to the chairman "the impossibility and inappropriateness of an inquiry into these matters being conducted other than in public".

The treasurer of the organisation, Mr Pat Fay, whose father died in the bombings, said he was "very disappointed with the Taoiseach". Relatives also said that they were concerned that a private inquiry would not have a statutory basis and would be able to secure co-operation with its investigation only on a voluntary basis.


© The Irish Times

I Homepage I I Top I Press Coverage I I Barron Inquiry I I Terms of reference for Barron Inquiry I I Fresh Inquest I

 

The Examiner, 10 August 1999: Report recommends inquiries into Ludlow murder, Dundalk bombing

An Phoblacht / Republican News, 12 August 1999: Dublin/Monaghan and Ludlow inquiries must be public Report of the Victims Commission 

The Dundalk Democrat, 14 August 1999: "Ludlow inquiry must be public" - says Arthur Morgan

The Dundalk Democrat, 14 August 1999: "Dublin/Monaghan bombings inquiry should be public" says O Caolain

The Dundalk Democrat, 21 August 1999: "A deafening silence"

The Sunday Tribune, Letters to the Editor, 19 September 1999: In support of Ed Moloney

The Irish Examiner, 30 September 1999: Bombings investigations but no public inquiry

The Argus Weekender, 2 October 1999: Cabinet broadens scope of enquiry to include the Dundalk bombing

The Dundalk Democrat, 2 October 1999: Private enquiries into Ludlow murder and Dundalk bombing

The Sunday Tribune, 3 October 1999:  Ludlow inquiry limited 

The Irish Times, 13 October 1999: Victims seek wider inquiry

The Irish News,  13 October 1999: Families call for inquiries into loyalist murders

An Phoblacht/Republican News, 14 October 1999: Relatives demand justice

The Dundalk Democrat, 16 October 1999: "Border Relatives" group established

The Sunday Tribune, Sunday 17 October 1999, by Ed Moloney: North's DPP has decided not to charge Loyalists arrested in connection with Ludlow killing

Copyright © 2002 the Ludlow family. All rights reserved.
Revised: August 02, 2002 .