NEWS

01/05/08

4. THE KILLING OF PAUL QUINN

4.1 Paul Quinn, a young resident of Cullyhanna, County Armagh, was beaten to death

on 20 October 2007 in County Monaghan. In addition to the tragic loss of life and

the grief it has caused for Paul Quinn’s family the killing has given rise to

speculation about the part which PIRA may or may not have played. It is because

of this that we think it is right to comment at some length. ‘We must emphasise

however that we are constrained in what we can say about the incident lest we

might possibly prejudice future legal proceedings9.’

4.2 Within these constraints, our assessment of the incident is as follows:

- We think that the attack on Paul Quinn was planned and carried out by

local people and that it arose from local disputes. Whatever the

immediate reason for the killing certain aspects of these disputes go back

some time and were not unconnected with continuing illegal activity;

- A number of people were involved in the incident although they did not all

necessarily play a part in the actual killing. ‘Amongst those involved were

people who had in various ways been associated with the PIRA at a local

level, including as members of the organisation. Some of these people

were accustomed over a substantial period of time to exercising

considerable local influence, collectively and individually. This would

have led such people to expect what they would consider as appropriate

respect from others and to being able to undertake their activities –

including criminal ones – without interference; they would find it very

difficult to accept any waning in this influence and respect;’

- The killing was clearly contrary to the instructions and strategy of the

leadership of PIRA. It was also contrary to the interests of PIRA and to

those of Sinn Féin. We are aware of no evidence linking the leadership

of PIRA to the incident. In public statements and in debates in the Dáil

9 Apart from our own wish not to say anything which might result in guilty people escaping justice, we are formally required not to act in a prejudicial way. Article 13 of the International Agreement under which we are established says that “The Commission shall not do anything in carrying out its functions which might…have a prejudicial effect on any proceedings which have, or are likely to be, commenced in a court of law.” The same Article also obliges us to avoid saying anything which might “put at risk the

safety or life of any person”.

and the Northern Ireland Assembly senior members of Sinn Féin have

condemned the killing and have called on people to give any information

they have to AGS and the PSNI.

4.3 In Section 3 above we do not attribute the killing to PIRA10. This is for several

reasons: the local and personal nature of its roots; the absence of indications

either of organisational sanction or that it was in the interests of PIRA; and

because it was contrary to the declared policy which PIRA has been following for

over two years. We are re’inforced in this view by the subsequent public remarks

to which we refer above. The fact that some local members or former members or

associates of the organisation were involved in the incident does not in our view

justify attributing it to PIRA.’ In reaching this conclusion we are applying the

standards we have consistently followed in respect of all kinds of paramilitary

incidents, and to which we have referred in the past11.

4.4 ‘We recognise that the involvement of local members or former members or

associates of the organisation in the way we have described is bound to raise

questions about the level of control exercised by the leadership of PIRA. The

PIRA leadership has had some difficulties in the past in exercising authority in

South Armagh. Looking more widely in Ireland North and South we do not find

evidence to suggest that this recent rejection of instructions is a general problem.’

4.5 We wish to express our sympathy for the family and friends of Paul Quinn and our

admiration for the courage they have shown in the face of this tragedy. We also

applaud the way in which they have publicly opposed any suggestion of retaliation

and have called on people to give any information to the police so that due

process may be followed and justice may be done.

10 Please see paragraph 3.4 above. 

11 In our Seventh Report in October 2005 we examined the question of the attribution of incidents to paramilitary groups and set out the tools we were using to help us reach assessments in individual cases. We continue to follow that thinking, though we have refined it further in the light of experience.

It has guided us on this occasion. Paragraphs 2.6 – 2.9 and Annex VIII of the Seventh Report refer.

01/05/08

The Quinn Support Group HAS welcomed the Eighteenth Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission which contained a special section on the murder of Paul Quinn

“Contrary to BBC headlines, the IMC has not shifted position on Provo involvement in Paul’s murder – far from it. They have not attributed the murder to the organisation as it was not a ‘corporate action’ sanctioned by the Army Council, but that is a political technicality – the IMC members know precisely who murdered Paul and precisely why.

The family and the Support Group always knew that this murder was indeed local and even personal The whole issue of Army Council sanction is a total red herring because it never had any role in giving the green light to specific actions.

The real issue is the level at which the beating was sanctioned locally. There are strong grounds for believing it went to the highest level in South Armagh and has therefore corrupted and tainted the whole South Armagh Command and all its constituent units. This is the vital point, more important even than whether all those involved in the killing were actually members of the Provisional IRA at the time. All of them enjoyed the protection of that organisation before, during and after the killing, all of them had access to its experience, expertise and forensic clean-up skills. It is now quite clear that the Garda investigation is focused on the access of local people to the Command infrastructure. We not that the Gardai have gone to the quite extraordinary length of refuting a planted story about a criminal gang being responsible for the murder, making it clear that they are not investigating any gang or individual criminals. That leaves just the Provos.

The IMC has clearly identified the key to the murder, which is the lack of deference and respect shown to self-appointed heroes by young people in South Armagh. The gang that battered Paul to death told him: ‘Now you know who is boss around here’. These were the people the IMC identifies as enjoying considerable local influence by membership of the Provos and expecting to be able to carry on criminal activities without interference and indeed to be admired for it. Paul would not bend the knee so they killed him.

The IMC points out that the killing was contrary to the interests of the Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein. Indeed it was, but the negative impact has been greatly increased by their actions since the murder. Sinn Fein in general and Conor Murphy in particular attacked the victim and his family before his body was cold.”

Paul Quinn’s parents, Stephen and Briege, believe that the IMC statement vindicates their claim that Paul was murdered by the sth Armagh Provos and call on the leadership of that movement to isolate the murderers in their ranks, “the ones rejecting instruction” to quote the IMC. And the say that “real peace in this area cannot exist while these murderers walk our streets and roads.”

11/02/08

DÁIL DEBATE SHOWS CONSENSUS ON MURDER

The Quinn Support Group said Thursday’s Dáil debate showed the strong consensus in democratic Ireland on the reasons for and details of the murder of Paul Quinn.

“Everyone now knows why Paul was killed and the group responsible for his death, the only remaining difference is between those who are prepared to face up to the truth and those who are not.

“The notion that Paul was involved in criminality has long since gone, and we had a further statement from the Irish government making it clear that his murder ‘was not related in any way to any involvement by him in criminal activities’. In plain English the government is saying there was no feud. That dissolves the whole fairy story about large gangs of forensically aware diesel smugglers. Although the Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan chose his words with care, it was absolutely clear that both he and Junior Minister Seán Power share the consensus view in the Dáil: Paul was killed by Provos. Even Sinn Féin leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin conceded that ‘it would be totally irrelevant if any of these criminals claimed at any time to be associated with republicanism’. This is progress of a kind.

“But other speakers told the whole truth. The killers had access to the infrastructure, expertise and experience of the Provisional IRA. This is the murder machine and it must be dismantled. It must be dismantled because all the good people of South Armagh demand it, and because any remaining loyalty among the good people towards the Provisional movement absolutely requires it. It is now in the interests of the leadership of the Provisional movement to speak out, to act. In the words of Labour TD Liz McManus: ‘There is now a choice to be made by members of the Provisional movement. Do they stand with the murderers of Paul Quinn or do they stand with the Quinn family and the people of south Armagh?’ In times gone by we heard from P.O’Neill when there were momentous events relating to the Provisional movement. The murder of Paul Quinn has the power to alter its future for ever in South Armagh. It is time we heard from P. O’Neill again.

“Next week the Assembly at Stormont will debate the murder, and once again the family and the Support Group will be in the public gallery. As in the Dáil, there will no doubt be attempts to divert from the murder, attempts to shift the focus to other real or imaginary victims. However, the sheer horror and brutality of Paul’s murder makes it impossible for such red-herring tactics to succeed for any length of time. The Assembly will be entitled to examine the role of its own members in the aftermath of this murder in exonerating the Provos, in consulting with Provos and in making false accusations of criminality against a dead boy.”

06/02/08

QUINN FAMILY WILL ATTEND DÁIL DEBATE

Stephen and Briege Quinn will attend the Dáil debate on the murder of their son Paul on Thursday 7th February.

The debate will begin at 11:00 AM and run until around 12:30 PM. The family and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who secured the debating slot, will be available to the media at around 12:45pm at the Kildare Street gate to Leinster House.

The next public meeting will be in Newry Town Hall on 20th February.

24/01/08

PROVO DEATH THREAT TO YOUNG CULLYHANNA MAN

The Quinn Support Group has learned that a young man from Cullyhanna has recently been officially notified by the PSNI that there is a threat to his life from the Provisional IRA. We are unable to supply any further details at present.

24/01/08

SUPPORT GROUP CONDEMNS ATTACKS, REJECTS INSINUATIONS

The Quinn Support Group has once again clarified its condemnation of and position on any and all attacks, intimidation, graffiti, finger-pointing and vandalism in any way connected with the brutal murder of Paul Quinn.

“Immediately after the Group was formed on 12th November, we issued a statement repeating the family’s call for no retaliation of any kind right down to the level of petty vandalism, we called for graffiti then appearing on walls in Cullyhanna to be removed and we arranged for it to be replaced by respectful signs calling for truth and justice. That call and position have been repeated at every single public meeting and in regular statements, and it has been made crystal clear that anyone who has knowledge of any such incidents should go to the PSNI.

“Our position absolutely and specifically applies to all incidents alleged to have happened to the Treanor family of Cullyhanna. We have no information or knowledge of our own about such incidents, and if we had, it would be in the hands of the PSNI. We trust and presume that Vincent Treanor has furnished whatever details he may have to the police, and beyond encouraging anyone else with allegations or information to get in touch with the PSNI, we must leave such matters in their hands. As neighbours, we do of course feel sympathy with anyone who feels intimidated and we offer them our support. As a Support Group, however, we cannot interfere in a police investigation.

“However, Mr Treanor and other members of his extended family seem to believe the Support Group should itself in some way investigate the allegations. That is not our function nor do we have the capability, and in any case it would be absolutely wrong for us to do so. Our attitude is the same as in the murder case – we cannot do nor encourage anyone to do anything which would jeopardise an eventual prosecution.

“On behalf of the Quinn family and all who support it, we must forcefully reject any insinuation that any such actions against Vincent Treanor or anyone else are condoned in any way. They are not. We heed the words of Briege Quinn when she said at the public meeting in Cullyhanna that even window-breaking hurt her, her family and the memory of her murdered son.

“These insinuations began to be made immediately after Paul was murdered and not only are they based on falsehood, they are very clearly politically inspired, designed specifically to shift the focus of public attention away from the brutal murder of Paul by the Provisional IRA. In all decency, we must ask for them to cease, and we must ask Mr Treanor to consider whether, by seeking to lend weight to insinuations against the Quinn family and their campaign, he and his family are being used for political ends. It is not trivialising the seriousness of any other incidents when we say that the focus must stay on the murder and we should beware of orchestrated attempts to shift it elsewhere. Allegations should be brought to the police. Directing them towards the Quinn family is a low political trick.”

14/01/08

QUINNS TO MEET FINE GAEL LEADER ENDA KENNY

Stephen and Briege Quinn from Cullyhanna will meet Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny TD in the Glencairn Hotel, Castleblayney at 5:00pm on Tuesday 15th January 2007.

The meeting will be private but participants will be available to the media immediately afterwards.

11/01/08

RESPONSE TO ADAMS APPEAL FOR MEETING

The Quinn Support Group said it is perfectly possible for Gerry Adams to meet the Quinn family, provided Sinn Féin leaders withdraw their allegations against their son.

“Briege and Stephen Quinn have noted the appeal today from the President of Sinn Féin that they should meet him. However, they have already made their position very clear.

“Gerry Adams and other Sinn Féin spokespersons have said and repeated that Paul was killed as a result of a criminal feud or a dispute between diesel smugglers. They made no effort to avoid or deny the obvious implication that Paul was involved in criminality. Conor Murphy MP went further on the BBC Spotlight programme and very explicitly called Paul a criminal. This was a false allegation and there is no reason to believe he was speaking other than with the authority of his party leader.

“Briege and Stephen Quinn have said, both publicly and directly to Conor Murphy when he phoned their home, that there is no question of meeting any Sinn Féin leader until this allegation is withdrawn. In the case of Conor Murphy, he must also apologise to the family for the very deliberate hurt he caused them in the midst of their grief.

“Given such a general withdrawal and particular apology, the family would consider what useful purpose of their campaign might be served by meeting Mr Adams.”

10/01/08

CASTLEBLAYNEY MEETING A GREAT SUCCESS

The Quinn Support Group said the public meeting held in Castleblayney on Wednesday evening marked a step change in the campaign.

“Clarification of the Irish government’s assessment of Paul’s murder has totally transformed the situation. The removal of the slur of criminality means that we have substantially achieved the first objective we set ourselves at the formation meeting on 12th November.

“There were many people in the 400-strong audience who expressed their anger at the false allegations of criminality peddled by Conor Murphy MP immediately after Paul was killed, but from the point of view of the campaign the MP’s position is now totally irrelevant. Not only are his accusations believed by no one, they are ridiculed by all. But for the sake of common decency he should cease to speak ill of the dead, withdraw his allegations and apologise to the Quinn family.

“The Irish government, the British government, the two police services and the International Monitoring Commission are at one with each other and indeed with the Quinn family and the Support Group on the basic facts of this case. The truth is out. So we are now able to focus all our attention on getting justice, not just for Paul, but for the many victims of the organised group which killed him.

“In contrast to the Crossmaglen meeting there was no attempt to hijack or disrupt proceedings in Castleblayney, and all speakers – including Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD - could voice their opinions without interruption. This is now a cross-border, cross-party campaign. There was strong encouragement from TDs, councillors and other speakers for a strong continuing campaign, not only in South Armagh, but throughout the border counties and further afield in the Republic, and offers of practical assistance were made.

“The point was forcefully made that a successful outcome to this campaign is in fact crucial to delivering the progress that is promised by political developments, that the existence of a cross-border murder machine is simply incompatible with democracy on either side of the border. For this reason there was a strong focus on encouraging people to come forward with information to the Garda Siochana.”

Gardai at the meeting distributed a leaflet asking for information on a van suspected of being used in the murder. The leaflet will shortly be made available on the campaign website.

08/01/08

PUBLIC MEETING: CASTLEBLAYNEY, 9TH JANUARY

The Quinn Support Group will hold a public meeting in the Glencarn Hotel, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan at 8:00pm on Wednesday, 9th January 2008. Members of the Quinn family will attend.

The meeting will discuss new campaign directions now that the Irish and British governments have made clear their views that Paul Quinn was not a criminal and that the involvement of the Provisional IRA in the murder is an important line of police inquiry. Now that an important element of truth has been firmly established, there should be an increased focus on the attainment of justice through the Garda investigation.

The meeting will again encourage people to come forward with information which can be turned into evidence, not only in regard to Paul’s murder, but also on other beatings and incidents which the investigating officers believe may throw light on how it was planned and executed. The Support Group will also seek views on how we can ensure that such a crime can never happen again.

21/12/07

MOMENTOUS WEEK OF MASSIVE VINDICATION

Briege and Stephen Quinn today met the Secretary of State Shaun Woodward at Hillborough Castle. The meeting was described as personal and emotional. They said Shaun Woodward told them the British government did not think Paul was a criminal and accepted that there had been no criminal feud. He also said he accepted the assessment of Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde on who was involved in the murder.

Responding to press questions afterwards Stephen Quinn disclosed that Conor Murphy MP called the Quinn home on Wednesday evening after their return from Dublin and he had a ‘30-second’ conversation in which he told Mr Murphy they would have no contact with him until he publicly withdraws his allegation that Paul was a criminal and apologises to the family. Briege Quinn added that she has no particular desire to meet Mr Murphy given what he has done to her family over the weeks since Paul’s death without trying to contact them.

Stephen and Briege Quinn separately said it is a condition of any meeting that Conor Murphy should give them the names of the Provisional IRA people he spoke to and got ‘very solid assurances of no Provo involvement so they can pass the names to the PSNI and Gardai.

The Quinn Support Group said the events of the last week have been momentous in terms of the campaign for truth and justice in relation to Paul’s murder, and provide massive vindication of the stance of the family and the Group:

“The great achievements of the week are that the Quinn family can face Christmas without the slur of criminality hanging over their son, and the family and the Support Group are now clearly at one with the Irish government on how this murder happened and who was involved. This means that the first objectives we set ourselves at our formation meeting on 12th November have now been met.

“We began with a highly successful public meeting in Crossmaglen on Thursday 13th December which demonstrated the depth of feeling on this murder. There was an orchestrated attempt to disrupt and hijack the meeting but it collapsed when faced with the anger of 400 good people.

“The success of that meeting, and more particularly the presence of a considerable number of TDs and councillors from south of the border, helped bring forward a re-evaluation of the campaign by the Irish government. On Monday 17th December the Quinns met Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern in Dundalk and got a very clear statement that the Irish government has never taken the view that Paul was involved in criminality.

“The Taoiseach went further in the Dáil on Tuesday when he said very clearly that the only criminals involved in this case are the ones who murdered Paul. He repeated the message in person on Wednesday when he joined their meeting with Justice Minister Brian Lenihan in Leinster House.

“British Secretary of State Shaun Woodward is now of the same view. Their view of Provo involvement has also been clarified. The focus of the two governments is naturally on the political issue of the level of sanction or authorisation for the beating which brought about Paul’s death. Neither they nor the two police forces investigating the murder have excluded the involvement of individual members of the Provisional movement.

“Like the family, our focus is slightly different. Provo involvement has been absolutely clear from the beginning. Our concern is that individual members with a real or imagined grievance have access to the local command structure and can use its experience and expertise to organise punishment beatings or even murder, right down to forensic clean-up. It matters little whether this local murder machine has sanction or authorisation from higher up, it is still killing. It must be stopped and dismantled. That is a community challenge and a political challenge.

“It is absolutely unavoidable that those who give political cover for the machine or try to deny its existence must also be challenged. In this case the political cover took the form of baseless and extremely wounding allegations that Paul was killed in a feud among criminals of whom he was one. Conor Murphy MP took it a stage further when he stated directly on the BBC Spotlight programme that Paul was a criminal.

“The understandable desire of the Taoiseach and the Irish government to avoid destabilising the power-sharing Executive was exploited in a cynical way so that the Taoiseach was presented as supporting their allegations. This week’s clarification means that Conor Murphy can no longer hide behind the Irish government, but must vainly try to stand his false allegations up on his own. He has, of course, the alternative of withdrawing and apologising. We fully support the family’s position that there can be no meeting with the MP until he does so publicly and in writing. It is too late for him to remove the slur because it no longer has either currency or credibility. But speaking ill of the dead is still to be looked down on, and he could at least try to undo some of the damage he has done to the Quinn family for the sake of simple decency.

“Conor Murphy apart, the whole country is now agreed on what this murder was all about and how it happened. One thing that did come out at the Crossmaglen meeting was the degree of Sinn Fein support for the Quinns and their campaign. Because of the many individual expressions of support and indeed financial contributions that have come forward from Sinn Fein people since then, we have good grounds for believing that this support is for the most part sincere.

“All this has been made possible by the good, brave people who came to our public meetings in Cullyhanna and Crossmaglen, and the Support Group thanks them from the bottom of our hearts. Later in the campaign we will organise further meetings in both places so that we can put our gratitude on the record. But for the moment, the focus must be on the next phase of the campaign.

“Now that our depoliticisation of the Paul Quinn murder is almost complete, we want to focus all our energies on getting people to co-operate fully with the Garda and police investigations. That will be top of the agenda when we meet next in the Glencairn Hotel, Castleblayney on 9th January. Then we want to have a debate on the murder machine, how it works, what it does and who has the power to dismantle it.”

20/12/07

QUINN FAMILY MEET TAOISEACH

Stephen and Briege Quinn today met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Justice Minister Brian Lenihan at Leinster House, Dublin. The meeting was arranged by Cavan-Monaghan TDs Margaret Conlon and Dr Rory O’Hanlon.

The meeting followed an earlier meeting with Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern in Dundalk on Monday and a statement to the Dáil on Tuesday by the Taoiseach, in which they both made it absolutely clear that the Irish government has never held the view that Paul Quinn was involved in criminality of any kind. It also became clear at these meetings that the assessments of the Gardai and government do not rule out the possibility of current or former Provisionals being involved in the murder.

After the meeting, Briege Quinn said: “We are very relieved and very happy in the days coming up to Christmas that Paul's name has been cleared of criminality. It was good to hear it at first hand from the Taoiseach himself and to hear him say that is what they have believed all along. Our Paul was not a criminal.

“The Justice Minister, Mr Lenihan, told us about what the Guards are doing to put Paul’s murderers behind bars. He said that no resources will be spared, there is no way this murder will be swept under the carpet, and he will keep us informed of progress. The Guards are working hard, doing their best and getting a great response from people in South Armagh.

“We are very confident that the Irish government is doing everything it can and that we have their full support.”

17/12/07

QUINNS PLEASED WITH AHERN SUPPORT AGAINST CRIME SLUR

Briege and Stephen Quinn, the parents of Paul Quinn expressed their great satisfaction that Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern has clarified the views of the Irish government on allegations of criminality made against their dead son.

Briege Quinn said: "We met Minister Dermot Ahern this morning and he told us very clearly that it is not the view of the Irish government that our son was a criminal.

"This has lifted a great weight from our shoulders. Once we got over the shock of Paul’s death, nothing has caused us more hurt and pain than these allegations. It was one thing to hear them from certain political quarters in the north, but when the Taoiseach stood up in the Dáil and seemed to be backing them up, it made things a lot worse for us.

"Now that we know the government is not backing them up, we care a lot less about what Conor Murphy or Gerry Adams say, because we know the truth. We know it was always lies. It means a lot to us to have the Minister say this, and we thank him very much for meeting us and telling us so clearly. This actually means more to us than getting someone into court. We know justice will take time, but the truth can be told right away."

13/12/07

QUINN CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE GEAR IN NEW YEAR

The Quinn Support group said the family's campaign for truth and justice will step up a gear in January with continued community action combined with engagement with political leaders and opinion-formers in all three jurisdictions.

The Group said: "The public meetings in Cullyhanna and Crossmaglen were designed to give the communities most intimately affected by the murder of Paul Quinn an opportunity to express outrage at its extreme brutality and support for their neighbours: Paul's parents Briege and Stephen, his brother James and sister Kathy. We will now engage with the wider community in South Armagh and neighbouring communities in Louth and Monaghan with the message that we must stop anything like this ever happening again.

"In the New Year , in addition to this community action, we and the Quinn family will carry that message to political leaders and opinion-formers in all three jurisdictions. Meetings have been sought and agreed to by political leaders in Dublin and Belfast and approaches have been made to us by political representatives from London. While there will be no question of confrontation, except with those who have explicitly called Paul a criminal, we intend to put the message very forcibly that Paul's murder cannot simply be regarded or written off as a political embarrassment or an inconvenience for the new political dispensation in the north. It is precisely this mindset which has led to a campaign of libel against a dead boy in the press accompanied by attempts to spread the most vicious and lying slanders at local level. It was only the clear messages of truth and honesty in the faces and voices of Briege and Stephen Quinn which stopped this vicious campaign in its tracks. The political establishments did not come to their aid, but we intend to insist that they do so now.

"Paul was not a criminal and those who slandered him must retract. The political establishments must recognise that his killing was the result of organised action by a local paramilitary unit which continues to function and will kill again if nothing is done. The killing machine must be dismantled and our communities must have the full backing of the establishments in the three jurisdictions in that task. Any threat to the new political dispensation can only come from those who would seek to give political cover to the killing machine."

12/12/07

QUINN SUPPORT GROUP CAMPAIGN FUND LAUNCHED

Donations to:

Quinn Support Group,

Bank of Ireland,

53 The Square,

Crossmaglen, BT35 9HQ

Sort code: 90-22-82

Account no.: 8222 0751

10/12/07

PRESS DIARY NOTE

The second public meeting in the Quinn family’s campaign for truth and justice will take place in Crossmaglen Community Centre at 8pm on Thursday 13th December 2007.

The Quinn family have explicitly invited four Sinn Féin councillors for Slieve Gullion ward who have not made contact with the family since the murder. Briege and Stephen Quinn said:
“We have noted the condemnation of Paul’s murder in a recent statement on behalf of the Sinn Féin councillors and their offer of assistance in the campaign to bring his killers to justice. To the best of our knowledge, none of these councillors has made or repeated any allegation of criminality against Paul. They could assist us by attending the meeting organised by our Support Group as representatives of the area where we live and Paul lived.”  

Also invited is the newly installed chair of the Newry and Mourne District Policing Partnership, Cllr Brendan Curran. Attempts have been made to contact the Crossmaglen Community Safety group, but like other such groups in South Armagh it is not answering the phone number it has posted up on poles throughout the area. A speaking slot has been reserved for a spokesperson in the hope that they will attend.

TDs from the border counties have been invited, as have those from further afield who have expressed interest in the case. The committee has also written to county councillors in Louth and Monaghan (except Clones district) and town councillors in Dundalk and Castleblayney. Alliance leader David Ford has sent his apologies but his representative will attend and speak. At least one of the McCartney sisters from Belfast will attend and speak.
A further public meeting is being organised for mid-January in Castleblayney. Between now and then a series of private meetings with political, community and church leaders from north and south has been scheduled.

06/12/07

QUINNS INVITE SINN FÉIN COUNCILLORS TO MEETING

The Quinn family have invited four Sinn Féin councillors from the Slieve Gullion ward to attend a campaign meeting in Crossmaglen Community Centre on Thursday 13th December.

Briege and Stephen Quinn said:

“All public representatives have been invited to the meeting. We have noted the condemnation of Paul’s murder in a recent statement on behalf of the Sinn Féin councillors and their offer of assistance in the campaign to bring his killers to justice. To the best of our knowledge, none of these councillors has made or repeated any allegation of criminality against Paul. They could assist us by attending the meeting organised by our Support Group as representatives of the area where we live and Paul lived.

“We would like to draw two points to their attention. At the public meeting in Cullyhanna we repeated the appeal we had made at the funeral for no retaliation at any kind. We very specifically said: ‘Please don't break windows or intimidate people because you are hurting them but you are also hurting us too. We have been hurt enough. Please let the PSNI and the Garda do the work. We want justice for Paul through the courts and no other way.’

“Secondly, we and our Support Group have wanted from the beginning to take all politics out of this murder investigation and to have people of all political opinions and none support our campaign. We and the Support Group have stated very clearly that there is nothing known about Paul’s murder which should have any impact whatever on the power-sharing Executive and Sinn Féin’s continued participation in it.

"We expect public representatives from north and south to attend: invitations have been issued to TDs and councillors from the border counties.”

04/12/07

BBC PULLS BACK FROM CONOR MURPHY’S ALLEGATION

BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme today dissociated itself from allegations made by Conor Murphy of Sinn Fein against the Quinn Support Group and its chairperson:

Good Morning Ulster Tuesday 4th December 2007 08:20AM
(Wendy Austin)

“On this programme last Thursday at about this time actually, the MP for Newry and Armagh Conor Murphy said that the former Sinn Fein councillor Jim McAllister had publicly identified the people allegedly responsible for the murder of Paul Quinn and that members of the Quinn campaign group had passed on the names to Lord Laird. Mr McAllister has asked us to point out that this is not the case.”

A similar allegation made on RTÉ’s ‘The Week in Politics’ on Sunday evening is now being pursued.

30/11/07

NEXT PUBLIC MEETING

***PLEASE NOTE CHANGE TO DATE AND VENUE***

CROSSMAGLEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

THURSDAY, 13TH DECEMBER, 8PM

GUEST SPEAKERS

30/11/07

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

The Quinn Support Group has called upon the four Sinn Fein councillors in the Slieve Gullion ward to make their views known on the murder of Paul Quinn, the subsequent political cover-up and the family’s campaign for truth and justice.

“It takes a while to notice a dog that doesn’t bark, but the silence of these four councillors on the murder of Paul Quinn is now deafening. Over the last few weeks they have expressed strong opinions on everything from rates relief to the Warm Homes Scheme and social housing, as they should, but on the matter of brutal premeditated murder they have nothing to say. Five weeks after the murder, silence of the lambs. At least the Cullyhanna Community Safety Group finally wound up its courage to issue a few lines of condemnation, even if it can’t quite manage answering the phone number it has posted up on poles and trees. But from the councillors, nothing.

“These councillors knocked all our doors at election times, pledging their support for us if we would give our support to them. And we did. But when payback time came – when a family was faced with just about the most horrific event anyone is ever likely to face – they were nowhere to be seen. They were not at the funeral, they were not at the Month’s Mind and they certainly were not at the public meeting even though we issued individual invitations. We are entitled to ask – Why not?

“At the time of the funeral there were mumbled words about not wanting to make things difficult for the family, but clearly this was more to save their own faces than the family’s feelings. It’s very simple – a boy is murdered, condemn the murderers and offer sympathy to the family. We all did it out of respect. They should have done it out of duty. So the question arises – where do their allegiances lie? With constituents who have suffered murder on a member of their family? Or elsewhere?

“If the councillors buy into the Conor Murphy line about Paul Quinn being a bigtime diesel criminal, they should say so. If they don’t, they should say that too. If they support the family’s campaign, let them say so. Conor Murphy tries to have it both ways, claiming to support the family while attacking their campaign. Because it is their campaign, their support group. The committee has no independent existence, and attempts to divide and rule will fail just as attempts at criminalisation did.

We don’t know what the four Sinn Fein councillors – Terry Hearty, Colman Burns, Anthony Flynn and Packie McDonald – think about the murder of Paul Quinn. We think someone should ask them. In fact, we think everyone should ask them.”

29/11/07

QUINN FAMILY: CONOR MURPHY MUST WITHDRAW CRIME SLUR

Commenting on today’s BBC Good Morning Ulster interview with Conor Murphy MP in which he repeated an offer to meet the family, Stephen and Briege Quinn said:

“The first thing Conor Murphy must to is withdraw the false allegations of criminality that he made against our son Paul shortly after his murder, and then repeated on the BBC Spotlight programme of 13th November. When he has done that we can consider what useful purpose might be served by a meeting.”

29/11/07

QUINN SUPPORT GROUP: LET SINN FÉIN SAVE FACE

Following on its successful first public meeting in Cullyhanna, the Quinn Support Group has called for Sinn Féin to be permitted to retreat from its increasingly ridiculous and isolated position on the Paul Quinn murder without further loss of face for the sake of the peace process.

“We are all diminished by the persistence of a public political posture which is so at odds with reality. The whole Irish nation is diminished when its government backs up selective and self-serving political alibis. All this is driven by the desire to maintain the power-sharing Executive and it is all totally unnecessary. We say to the governments and to the DUP – let Sinn Féin continue in government, but let them tell the truth.

“Let us simply all agree that the killing was not sanctioned at any organisational level which should have political consequences at Stormont. We now have the backing of a motion passed at our public meeting for this position and we will be communicating our position to the leaders of all political parties. Sinn Féin’s role in government is under no threat. Sinn Fein’s ministerial jobs are safe, there is no more need for lies and evasion and spin. But let us also agree that we have a murder machine in our community and it must be dismantled for ever. The level of sanction was never an issue for the people of Cullyhanna, their attention was always focused on the local command structure.

“The mood of the meeting was calm and dignified, but very angry as friends and members of Paul’s family gave accounts of his short life and brutal death. It was deeply moving as a weeping Briege Quinn repeated her call for no retaliation and specifically made the point that window-breaking hurt her, her family and the memory of her murdered son. There was anger when James Quinn quoted the sign near the village left over from the days of the campaign to retain political status in Long Kesh: ‘My brother is not a criminal’. There was a recognition that the accusations of criminality against Paul Quinn have fallen away, not from any sense of shame or decency on the part of Conor Murphy and Sinn Féin, but simply because they failed and were exposed for the scurrilous political trickery that they were.

“Conor Murphy, the first MP known to have blamed a murder on its victim, is particularly isolated, even from his party colleagues. He has now exonerated every past and present member of the Provisional Movement, not only for the murder of Paul Quinn, but for the dozens of punishment beatings which have taken place in South Armagh over the last few years (BBC2 Newsnight 28th November). These sweeping powers of absolution surely require some theological investigation.

“The next public meeting will be in Crossmaglen and after that we will travel to the four corners of South Armagh carrying the message that murder and intimidation must stop for ever.”

The following motion was passed by unanimous acclaim:

THAT THIS PUBLIC MEETING SEEKS TRUTH AND JUSTICE FOR PAUL AND A TRUE PEACE IN SOUTH ARMAGH. WE SEEK JUSTICE THROUGH THE COURTS OF LAW, NOT THROUGH THE POLITICAL SYSTEM. THERE IS NO THREAT TO THE POLITICAL SETTLEMENT – ALL WE ASK IS THAT ALL POLITICIANS TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PAUL QUINN.

27/11/07

QUINN SUPPORT GROUP CONDEMNS WINDOW BREAKING

The Quinn Support Group has condemned the breaking of a hall window at the Treanor family home in Cullyhanna.

“Everyone in this community needs to keep focused on the real issue, which is the brutal murder of a young lad by a dozen masked men wearing surgical gloves. The family called for no retaliation when the murder happened and repeated the call at the funeral, and as far as we are concerned the ban extends to window-breaking or other acts of petty vandalism.


“We reiterate our call for no public finger-pointing. All information should be fed into the Garda and police investigation only. The people who killed Paul and those who are now providing cover for them want to divide this community and turn neighbour against neighbour. Cullyhanna must stand strong and united.


“We commend Vincent Treanor for his honesty in admitting that he had what he delicately terms ‘words’ with Paul’s sister and a consequent altercation with Paul shortly before the murder. This is a considerable advance on his statement of 16th November. Its significance for the investigation, if any, is solely a matter for the police. Vincent Treanor and anyone else who feels intimidated in the wake of the murder will be welcome at our public meeting in Cullyhanna Community Centre tomorrow (Wednesday) night, as will all others who have suffered intimidation or attack in South Armagh.”

23/11/07

CAMPAIGN GROUP WELCOMES BACKING FROM DERMOT AHERN

The Quinn Support Group has warmly welcomed the strong statement of support for the family and its campaign made by Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern on a visit to Ballymena on Wednesday:

“The Quinn family is very pleased at the warm words spoken by Dermot Ahern. They have done much to allay the hurt and fears that arose when the Taoiseach told the Dáil that his view was that there was no paramilitary involvement in Paul’s murder and it was the result of a criminal feud. There was deep shock at the implication for Paul’s memory.

“Dermot Ahern’s support, not just for the family but for their campaign for justice, is important because everyone in South Armagh looks to the Irish government as the guarantor of all efforts to achieve truth and justice.”

Note to Editors:

Transcript of Dermot Ahern’s remarks to Radio Ulster 6pm news:

(BBC Reporter) Irish Foreign Affair Minister Dermot Ahern has backed a cross border campaign set up by the family of South Armagh murder victim Paul Quinn. The 21 year old died after he was savagely beaten at a farm shed in County Monaghan last month. His family has launched a Justice for Paul campaign. Speaking in Ballymena, Mr Ahern said the Irish government will do all it can to help the family.

(Dermot Ahern): “I very much encourage what they are doing. It was a disgraceful event similar to the event of Michael McIllveen and others. It’s to be utterly condemned. I’m delighted that the Garda Síochána are working very closely with the PSNI in order to track down the people who have been responsible for this.

"You know their son is no longer with them, its something we all regret the tragedy and any assistance we can give them we will give them.”

22/11/2007

PRESS DIARY NOTE

PUBLIC MEETING

CULLYHANNA COMMUNITY CENTRE

8PM WEDNESDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 2007

The Quinn Support Group is organising this public meeting to give all the people in Cullyhanna and the surrounding area an opportunity to express their support for the Quinn family and their campaign for justice. The less formal meetings in the Quinn family home have reached capacity at around 50 people.

All press and media welcome. However, given the horrific nature of Paul’s death we must give the audience an opportunity to decide whether they wish to have at least part of their discussion in private, or whether there should be restrictions on photography of the audience (eg, from back of room only). We would therefore request that no photographs be taken of people on their way in to the meeting. There will be no restrictions on photography or reporting of the committee members.

The campaign website www.quinnsupport.com is under construction and will shortly have a press archive available. A proposal for a campaign fund with a body of trustees will be put to the public meeting. No cash donations will be accepted.

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