March 9, 2003 Ludlow Killing - Another Step on the Road to Justice?
by Bernard Moffatt, Secretary General of the Celtic League

The long campaign by the family of Co. Louth forestry worker, Seamus Ludlow, to seek justice and truth about his murder has taken a positive turn with the news that Garda files about the killing and subsequent investigation are to be released.

Seamus Ludlow is believed to have been murdered by Loyalist paramilitaries working with the knowledge and encouragement of the British Security Forces in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Ludlow was shot and killed in a lane close to his Mountpleasant, Co. Louth home on May 2nd 1976 in what seems to have been either a random killing or a case of mistaken identity.

The Celtic League have supported the campaign for an enquiry into the death of Mr. Ludlow for sometime and we have repeatedly pressed the Irish government to be more open and urged the British authorities in the north of Ireland to also adopt a more positive stance.

The Ludlow family are reported as having greeted the news that the files will be released with "caution". Indeed they should be cautious because it has become quite clear from the machinations down through the years to obstruct explanation and the bringing to justice the killers of Seamus Ludlow that a cover-up at the highest level has been undertaken.

Quite clearly their caution is warranted because in the present climate of peace and reconciliation there are vested interests within both the Irish and British administrations which do not wish to have too much scrutiny focused on the activities of the loyalist 'commandos', armed and supported by British Intelligence, which waged a dirty war of killings and bombings in the south of Ireland in the 1970s.