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Dundalk Democrat, 21 December 2005:

All ages remember victims of bombing

By Gerry Prendergast

Dundalk people of all ages attended a special 30th anniversary commemoration of the Crowe Street bombing in the Town Hall on Monday night.

The short religious service, celebrated by Fr Dan Bray CSsR, was organised by the families of Jack Roney and Hugh Waters who died when a no-warning car  bomb exploded outside Kay's Tavern on December 19 1975.

During the commemoration Fr Bray said the victims Jack Rooney and Hugh Watters were "the wrong men in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Fr Bray said Christmas time had been a celebration of light long before Christ was born. He pointed to the construction of Newgrange 4,000 years ago as evidence that humans longed for light at this dark time of year.

Fr Bray told the Rooney and Watters families that their relatives were now in a place of light.

"To wish them back here would be to wish evil," said Fr Bray.

"They are not dead, they live in a different existence just like all us did when we were in our mothers' wombs."

Two readings from Ecclesiastical and Revelations were given by grand-daughters of the two men.

In the Prayers of the Faithful Fr Bray asked for the Barron Inquiry - which examined the circumstances surrounding the bombing - to be concluded soon.

At 6.22pm - the precise time the bomb detonated 30 years ago - there was a minute's silence for the men, punctuated only by a slow violin lament.

On behalf of the two families, Jack's daughter Maura McKeever thanked Fr Bray and all those who attended the memorial.

She said: "This meant a lot to both families especialy on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the murders."

The Dundalk Democrat: 21 December 2005:

It seems like it was just yesterday

Horrific day recalled

By Anne Marie Eaton

It may have been 30 years ago but for the families of Hugh Watters and Jacl Rooney killed in the 1975 Dundalk bombing it is as if (it) were yesterday.

As the families await the publication of the Barron Report into the bombing on Crowe Street, they along with friends, councillors and TDs gathered on Crowe Street for a commemoration ceremony in the Town Hall.

Speaking afterwards Mr Rooney's daughter Maura McKeever said: "We were just talking amongst us and really this has taken up our lives and now it is moving into the next generation. It is still very hard for us 30 years later.

it was she said a very moving copmmemoration and she added that the effort made by people to attend was much appreciated by the families.

"We are so grateful to those who attended the ceremony be they family, friends or representatives.

"It is a very busy time of year for people and just by taking the time out to come along has shown to our families that people still care and they still remember."

Maura had special thanks for Alan Brecknell and Margaret Urwin who attended the ceremony.

"Margaret attended on behalf of the Dublin/Monaghan bombing families but it must have been a particular effort for Alan to attend as his father was murdered in Sikverbridge within three hours of the Dundalk bombing.

"It was his father's anniversary too but he still came along."

In thanking all those who helped in the organisation of the ceremony, Maura acknowledged Fr Dan Bray and Roisin Crawley as well as those who catered for the event and Cormac Greene in Dundalk Town Hall.

Jack Rooney had stopped to help a neighbour carry parcels to the post office and was returning from Clanbrassil Street when he sustained serious injuries in the bomb blast.

There was further confusion for his family as his name was incorrectly listed and it tok some time to find out if he had ben involved.

He died in hospital three days later and was buried on Christmas Eve.

Hugh Watters was kiled outright in the blast. A tailor, he had left his Francis Street premises and had been delivering a suit to Kay's Tavern when the bomb went off right in front of the Bar.

Over the years both the Watters and Rooney families have spoken out against the manner in which their fathers' murders have been handled by the relevant authorities. They want a full public inquiry into theitr fathers' deaths.

They are currently awaiting the report by Justice Henry Baron into the tragedy.

At the moment it is believed that the report could be published in January.

"In his report on the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, he stated that the identity of the Dundalk bombers were known in 1976.

"We were amazed he went that far. In his report on Seamus Ludlow he gave names. It would be awful if he went backwards with our report and didn't state names."

But hurt felings don't go away and the desire for a public inquiry is stronger than ever: "We were totally ignored. That doesn't go away. Now we need a public inquiry. How would Bertie Ahern fel if his father was murdered and then ignored.

"No one should go through that but it is Bertie Ahern who would have to sign on the dotted line."

For more about this 30th anniversary comemoration of the Dundalk bombing see also article from The Argus, 23 December 2005.

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Download the Barron Report on the murder of Seamus Ludlow  from the Oireachtas website (pdf file)

Copyright © 2005 the Ludlow family. All rights reserved.
Revised: December 23, 2005