Seamus Ludlow, was a 47-year-old
Catholic bachelor who lived at Thistlecross,
Mountpleasant, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland,
just a short distance south of the border
and the Six Counties. Seamus lived in his
lifelong home with his elderly mother and his
married sister and her family. Seamus worked with
his brother-in-law Tommy Fox (now deceased) as a
forestry worker in the vicinity of his home.
Seamus Ludlow was murdered by Loyalists from the
Six Counties in May 1976. His killers have never
been brought to justice, and his family want to
know why this is so.
Seamus met his death on the night of 1st. and
2nd. May 1976. After spending the evening in
various Dundalk public houses, Seamus left the
Lisdoo Arms, on the Ni road just north of
Dundalk, around 11.30 pm. He was last seen
standing outside Smith's Garage nearby, thumbing
a lift for the three mile distance to his home,
as he had done on many occasions before. The
memorial, shown at the top of this page, marks
the spot where Seamus Ludlow's body was found on
Sunday 2nd. May 1976.
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The Ludlow family has produced another web
site The
Seamus Ludlow Truth and Justice Campaign.
This web site has detailed accounts of Seamus
Ludlow's family background, the last day of his
life, and the Ludlow family's unsavoury treatment
by the Gardai in the aftermath of the murder.
There are press reports of Seamus Ludlow's murder
from the Sunday
Press and the Sunday World and a Special
Report from the local Argus
newspaper in 1985. There are accounts of recent
revelations in the press about the arrest of four
Loyalist suspects from County Down in February
1998 and the
Irish Victims Commission's report of 1999.
There is a copy of a Profile
on Seamus Ludlow's death, compiled by a member of
the family. There is also a copy of the text of
an independent report produced by the respected
human rights body British
Irish RIGHTS WATCH (BIRW), London.
Further information about recent developments
can be found on the web sites of the Pat Finucane
Centre and BIRW.
The first part of this question is easier to
answer than the second part. Despite false claims
spread by the Gardai in southern Ireland and by
the British Army in the Six Counties, to the
effect that Seamus Ludlow was an informer who had
been murdered by the IRA, forces of a different
hue were responsible. The Ludlow family
emphatically maintain that Seamus Ludlow was no
informer. He was not killed by the IRA.
Recent revelations of an RUC and Gardai
cover-up dating from the 1970s show how in fact
it was known all along that Seamus Ludlow was the
victim of a Loyalist/British Army murder
gang. It is now known that the RUC in Belfast
handed a file on the killing to the Gardai in
1979. This file contained the names of at least
three of the suspects who were arrested by the
RUC nearly 20 years later, in February 1998. It
has also emerged, from statements made by one of
the suspects, that he was questioned about the
murder by the RUC Special Branch in 1987, and
that he was told to say no more about Seamus
Ludlow because it was "political".
Why Seamus Ludlow was killed remains a
mystery. Perhaps we should be asking what the
four Loyalist suspects, including two members of
the British Army's Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),
from far off Comber and Newtownards in north
Down, were doing in Dundalk on the night in
question.
Were they engaged in a drinking spree as it
has been suggested, or were they on a mission of
murder. Seamus Ludlow was totally unknown to
them. Could it be that he was just another
Catholic or a victim of mistaken identity, killed
instead of another intended victim, who may have
been a republican. There have been persistent
rumours that Seamus bore a strong resemblance to
one man in particular who may have been on a
death list .
This is the question that has yet to be
answered, hopefully at a public inquiry. The
Ludlow family rightfully feel that those (whoever
they are) who participated in this shameful
neglect of duty, and perverted justice, must be
forced to answer for their abuse. Gardai officers
were paid and sworn to uphold the law, solve or
prevent crime, and to protect members of the
public from crime.
Certainly in the case of Seamus Ludlow's
murder, and in every other case where Loyalists
committed murder in the Irish state - in Dundalk,
Castleblaney, Dublin, Monaghan, Buncrana and
Sallins - with perhaps fifty innocent victims -
the Gardai have manifestly failed in that duty.
In the case of Seamus Ludlow it is clear that
there was a cover-up. Members of the Gardai have
admitted this to members of the Ludlow family. A
secret file containing the names of at least
three suspects had been gathering dust for some
twenty years, even while Gardai in Dundalk were
constantly assuring members of the Ludlow family
that there was no other file, and there were no
other suspects.
It has recently been reported that this RUC
file had been passed to several high-ranking
Gardai officers - including an Assistant
Commissioner - yet no action was taken. Several
officers, and others in retirement and still
living, should have interesting answers to give
when, or if, they are forced to testify.
It has been suggested that the cover-up was
inspired by a need to protect one of the Loyalist
killers who may have been an agent working within
the death squad. If true, this agent, who may
have been the actual killer, may well have
reported back to his RUC Special Branch, British
Army or MI5 handlers immediately. He may have
given them a detailed report about the killing of
Seam Ludlow.
The Gardai's handling of Seamus Ludlow's
inquest on 19th August 1976 also leads to
suspicions of a cover-up. No members of the
Ludlow family were present, simply because no one
within the family was given sufficient advance
notice. Clearly, Ludlow family members were not
wanted there. The inquest reports in the local
press and the state pathologist's report say
nothing about the calibre of weapon used to kill
Seamus Ludlow. This neglect fuels suspicions that
a British Army/UDR weapon was used. Such a weapon
would have identified the killers immediately.
The Ludlow family demands a public inquiry to
uncover the answers to all of the important
questions raised about the official cover-up of
the murder of Seamus Ludlow. These questions have
been raised in previous communications between
the family and its legal representative and the
authorities in Dublin and Belfast. The absolute
necessity for the holding of a public inquiry has
been argued vigorously. As this page was in
construction, the Ludlow family was still waiting
for an official response from the Irish Minister
for Justice
The
Ludlow family's search for truth and justice is
led by Kevin Ludlow, the only surviving brother
of Seamus Ludlow. Kevin Ludlow has maintained
close contacts with the Gardai ever since his
brother was murdered in May 1976. On several
occasions he was deliberately misled. He was even
told that a member of his own family was involved
in his late brother's murder! He was even given
the name of a particular relative. With his
nephew Jimmy Sharkey, he has worked tirelessly to
uncover the full truth behind his brother's
murder and the reasons for the Gardai's failure
to solve the crime.
The Ludlow family has established an Appeal
Fund (see below) to help with securing the
necessary funds for a campaign which will
continue to drain available resources for some
time to come. Any donations, to the Appeal's
account at the Bank of Ireland, Dundalk, of
whatever size, will be deeply appreciated.
The Ludlow family continues to enjoy the
active support of respected human rights groups
like British
Irish Rights Watch (BIRW), London, the Pat
Finucane Centre (PFC), Relatives for Justice, and
the Irish
Council for Civil Liberties. BIRW has
produced an independent report
on Seamus Ludlow's death and its esteemed
Director Jane Winter has twice flown to Ireland
to accompany members of the Ludlow family on
important occasions - the most recent being a
meeting with the Irish Minister for
Justice.
The Pat Finucane Centre, Derry, and Relatives
for Justice, Belfast, have been
particularly supportive, having invited the
family to their recent conferences for relatives
of victims of state violence. PFC has featured
the Seamus Ludlow case on its own website,
including much of the recent output of journalist
Ed Moloney for the Sunday Tribune newspaper. The
Pat Finucane Centre published this site on its
website and on its email newsletter. Through
PFC's efforts, this site has gained a
considerable hit rate in a very short time.
Relatives for Justice kindly invited the Ludlow
family to send a representative to join their
deputation for a meeting with Taoiseach Mr.
Bertie Ahern in Dublin.
Both Newry and Mourne District Council and
Louth
County Council have supported the Ludlow
family's demand for a public inquiry into the
death of Seamus Ludlow.
The Ludlow family is also supported by a
number of Irish TDs and senators and British MPs.
Since the launch of this second Ludlow family
website, it has been obvious that the Ludlow
family's campaign for truth and justice has many
good friends at home and abroad. This is obvious
from a visit to the site's Guest Book, where
several messages have been posted by good friends
in the United States and Britain.
Members of the
Irish Organisations United in Pennsylvania
and Massachussetts are now actively campaigning
on the Ludlow family's behalf. The Ludlow
family's campaign is also supported by members of Friends
of Irish Freedom in the United States. The
campaign has also secured from members of the
Connolly Association.
Most of all, the Ludlow family is pleased to
report that their concerns and their demands for
truth and justice are widely supported in their
local community on both sides of the
border.
SUPPORT
THE SEAMUS LUDLOW APPEAL FUND
Bank of Ireland
78 Clanbrassil Street
Dundalk
County Louth
Ireland
Account No. 70037984
Thank You.
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