SAOIRSE32

12 February 1989

BBC

A Northern Ireland Assembly committee is to discuss the murder of south Armagh man Paul Quinn on Tuesday.

Mr Quinn, 21, from Cullyhanna, died after being attacked and beaten at a shed near Castleblayney in the Republic of Ireland last October.

His family have blamed members of the IRA - but Sinn Fein have denied this.

Gardai, who are co-operating closely with the PSNI, are pursuing 1,200 lines of inquiry into the murder and have taken more than 400 statements.

The assembly motion, from SDLP MLA Dominic Bradley, notes that the British and Irish governments have made clear they do not believe claims that Mr Quinn was involved in any criminality.

It will also note assessments of Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde and the ceasefire watchdog, the Independent Monitoring Commission, that current and former IRA members may have been involved.

On Thursday, the murder was condemned in the Dail.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said it was “pre-meditated savagery” and questioned some republicans’ commitment to peace.

Justice Minister Brian Lenihan and Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghin O’Caolain called for witnesses to come forward.

BBC
Monday, 11 February 2008

A man has been acquitted of two bomb attacks after his case was reviewed in the wake of the Omagh bomb trial.

Prosecutors said they would offer no evidence against John Joseph McCusker, 54, of Galloon Gardens, Newtownbutler.

He had been charged with causing two explosions - one at Rosslea PSNI station in October 2003 and another at Lurgan Golf Club in June 2004.

Prosecution said the case was reviewed after Sean Hoey’s acquittal and “the prosecution test is no longer met”.

The key element in the case against Mr Hoey, who was acquitted of 58 charges including the Omagh bombing, was forensic evidence.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Weir, was heavily critical of the police performance when gathering and storing items that were later subjected to DNA testing.

Derry Journal
5 Feb 08

Shantallow SDLP councillor Shaun Gallagher has branded an INLA ’show of strength’ in the city’s Galliagh district earlier today as “a relic of the past.”

He made the comments after masked and armed members of the INLA fired a volley of shots to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of INLA volunteer Neil McMonagle.

Six masked men carrying guns, including two assault rifles, staged a ’show of strength’ in the area before three men fired up to six shots from three handguns at the republican socialist monument at Leafair Park.

Councillor Gallagher, who also chairs the local District Policing Partnership, urged those who carried out the shooting to get involved with mainstream politics.

“I can understand people commemorating the life of Neil McMonagle but I think there are better ways to go about it,” he said. “These shows of strength are a thing of the past and I would appeal to the people involved in the organisation responsible to come on board with the political progress and leave this type of thing in the past where it belongs.”