The depth of anger within the tiny village of Cullyhanna over the murder of Paul Quinn became evident in the immediate aftermath of the young man's burial yesterday.
Pat McNamee, a former Sinn Féin councillor who said he was in prison with local Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy, said he fully believed the Quinn family when they released a statement accusing the IRA of being involved in their son's murder.
"What sickens me more is the weakness of the political leaders so far in supporting the family. The greatest tragedy in this instance is if the truth is not exposed, then any of those involved in covering up the truth or whitewashing the truth will be as guilty as those who carried it out," he said.
"People in this community are tremendously angry. They've been quiet today because a funeral was taking place and a family had to bury their son. But you will hear more in the coming days and weeks. This is not over by any means."
No representative of Sinn Féin attended the funeral. A spokesman for Sinn Féin said that the party "was respecting the family's choice in this matter".
In a statement after the murder, the Quinn family said Paul Quinn had been recently involved in a dispute with individual IRA members. "Following this he received a threat by a third party ordering him to leave the country. Our son courageously and correctly refused to leave. We believe that he was abducted by the Provisional movement and brutally beaten to death."
Anthony McCooey, a cousin of Paul Quinn's and a former republican prisoner, said the Sinn Féin leadership were going to have to do more than call those responsible "criminals". "We've supported them through thick and thin and we're not putting up with this," he said.
He added some people in the community were scared of the repercussions of speaking out. "I have no fear. I was with them down through the years. I don't care," he said.
Other mourners, who did not want to be named, disputed suggestions that Paul Quinn was involved in a fuel-laundering ring. The widespread view within the local community was that Mr Quinn was murdered because of a personal dispute with one or more local Republican "godfathers".
Dominic Bradley, the local SDLP Assembly member, said there was "a palpable anger" in the local community.