Ludlow family calls for independent inquiry

The family of murdered Dundalk forestry worker Séamus Ludlow today repeated demands for an independent public inquiry into the…

The family of murdered Dundalk forestry worker Séamus Ludlow today repeated demands for an independent public inquiry into the killing.

Relatives appeared before the Oireachtas Justice Sub-Committee, which has begun hearings into last November's report by Mr Justice Henry Barron into the 1976 crime.

Mr Ludlow (47), who the Barron report said had no links to paramilitary groups, was shot dead on May 2nd, 1976, as he returned home from a night out.

Mr Ludlow's nephew Jimmy Sharkey today told the all-party body: "The Barron report left a lot of unanswered questions. The forum for these to be addressed is an independent public inquiry. It is the bottom line for us. Nothing else. Nothing more."

READ MORE

Brother Kevin Ludlow today said the family had still not received any apology from gardaí who investigated the case. "It's a shame to think of the way the gardaí acted. We were treated very badly. Nothing only lies from the gardaí."

The Barron report said the RUC told gardaí in 1979 that it believed four named loyalists were involved in his killing, but this information was not pursued by the Garda at the time.

Mr Ludlow said gardaí blamed the IRA for the crime at the time. "We shouldn't have to go through all of this for 30 years. It wasn't fair what was done to us," he said. "They were covering up the whole thing all the time."

Labour Party justice spokesman Joe Costello said to the family: "We know how difficult it must be to come here to re-open all these old wounds."