Jim
Kane, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, is a prominent figure in Irish
Organisations United, in the USA, and, with his colleague Linda
Porra, he has become an active supporter of the Ludlow
family's campaign for truth and justice.
Jim
has written letters on the Ludlow family's behalf to the
following individuals and organisations:
the Chief
Constable of the RUC ... Amnesty
International ... Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission ...
The Irish Post Newspaper.... The Irish Voice Newspaper...
Senator Kerrey of Nebraska... The Irish People Newspaper...
Northern Ireland Office... Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD.... Mary
Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights.... Senator Edward Kennedy... Seamus Mallon MP, MLA...
British PM Tony Blair, MP...US President Bill Clinton.....Bill
Hughes of Radio Free Eireann ... Tom Ridge, Governor of
Pennsylvania.... Two Pennsylvania Senators Arlen Specter
and Rick Santorum... and Congressman Paul Kanjorski..... US
Secretary of State Madeline Albright... and US Attorney
General Janet Reno.
Below
is the text of a letter that Jim has sent to Professor Brice
Dixon, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, in Belfast.
Dear
Sir:
I am writing on behalf of the Seamus Ludlow Family concerning
the death of Seamus Ludlow who was murdered in May 1976.
Upon talking to his nephew Michael Donegan and researching
into this atrocity I feel there are many inconsistencies and
unanswered questions in this family's search for the truth.
Demands from the Ludlow family and human rights organizations
for a public inquiry seems to have been feared by many that it
may uncover scandals from the 1970s when allegations of the
Garda / British Security force collusions at a time when the
northern peace process was entering a critical phase. Could
this possibly be brushed aside as being too politically
involved?
On the night Mr. Ludlow was murdered (reports in Magill
magazine) one of the men (there were reportedly 4 men in this
said vehicle) was a Mr. Paul Hosking, a witness who in
1987 gave a full report of the murder to the RUC Special
Branch.
Mr. Hosking, upon questioning, told detectives that the
special branch had this information for eleven (11) years. He
also identified the persons who were responsible for this
murder.
It was not until 1996 that the Ludlow family learned who the
suspected murderers were, although the police tried to place
the blame on the IRA. They have learned this information from
Detective Sgt. Owen Corrigan who has worked on this case.
Why have these men who were arrested with the confession of
Mr. Hosking never been convicted for the murder of Mr. Ludlow?
Some questions that must be answered are:
Exactly how much information on Seamus Ludlow's killers was
passed by the RUC to two Garda detectives from the Dublin
Murder Squad who had travelled to Belfast in early 1979?
What was the British Army's interest in the Seamus Ludlow case
which brought soldiers to the home of the late Kevin Donegan,
a brother-in-law of Seamus Ludlow, at Dromintee, south Armagh,
to ask questions and then to airlift him to Bessbrook for
further questioning about the Gardai's line of inquiry?
What information did the murder witness Paul Hosking give to
the RUC Special Branch officer who interviewed him in 1987?
Why was Paul Hosking told to "forget about it, it's
political"?
Why was there a cover-up on both sides of the border?
Who was being protected in the car that night: was it the
gunman?
Was
one of the suspects in the car that night an agent for British
Intelligence, the RUC, Special Branch or even the Garda
Special Branch?
Will the RUC officers who held this information be held
accountable for their actions?
These were the questions and issues that the Ludlow family
wanted to put to the RUC Chief Constable, but no such meeting
has been granted.
We feel this investigation should be undertaken by a public
inquiry due to the many allegations of collusion surrounding
this case and their many unanswered questions surrounding the
death of Seamus Ludlow.
We are asking your intervention to help right a wrong and
assist the Ludlow family in their quest to bring this
investigation to a close and have those responsible for this
crime punished.
Thank you for your interest and help in this matter.
Sincerely:
Jim J. Kane
Irish Organizations United
1420 N. Lincoln Avenue
Scranton, Pennsylvania 18508
USA
(570) 344-9934
[email protected]
SUPPORT
THE SEAMUS LUDLOW APPEAL FUND
Bank
of Ireland
78
Clanbrassil Street
Dundalk
County
Louth
Ireland
Account
No. 7003798
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Page last updated on 21 March 2001
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