sinn fein worker linked to Quinn murder

[Wasp]

sunday independent
SF worker linked to fatal Quinn beating
By Jim Cusack
Sunday December 09 2007


One of the key suspects who is believed to have delivered the fatal blows with an iron bar to the young south Armagh man, Paul Quinn, was a Sinn Fein worker at the time of the murder, it has emerged.


The man, in his early 20s, was named in statements which were given to gardai investigating the murder. A house was subsequently searched and the man, a member of a well known republican family with close ties to both Sinn Fein and the IRA, is expected to be formally questioned in the near future.

The man was part of the IRA unit which had been tracking the 21-year-old for weeks before he was lured to a disused cattle shed at Oram, Co Monaghan just over the Border from his home in Cullyhanna, Co Armagh on October 20 last.

In the immediate aftermath of the murder the Sinn Fein leadership issued a succession of statements and made TV appearances denouncing the murder as the work of "criminals" and said there was no republican involvement. This denial of "republican" involvement was welcomed by both governments.

However, Garda sources have confirmed that at least one of the prime suspects in the killing was, at the time, an active Sinn Fein worker as well as being a member of the IRA in south Armagh. His family is also well known as being prominently involved in smuggling and diesel laundering.

According to local sources it now appears that the south Armagh IRA had a list of up to a dozen local young men who were suspected of "anti-social" activities but that almost all were taken off a list for a punishment beating because their families had links to the IRA. Paul Quinn's family has no IRA links.

The killing has created severe divisions in the area extending even into the local GAA and there is no sign of the campaign by family supporters to have the killers brought to justice subsiding.

The campaigners have challenged Sinn Fein over why, despite publicly denouncing the murder, none of its local representatives -- including the local MP and Stormont minister, Conor Murphy -- attended Paul Quinn's funeral.

The Quinn Support Group said: "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.

"These councillors knocked on 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."

And the local SDLP MLA, Dominic Bradley challenged Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy over his statement that he had met the local IRA leadership who had assured him there was no IRA involvement.

Mr Bradley said: "Conor Murphy could start by telling the gardai and the PSNI who gave him 'very solid' assurances that no Provos were involved. It is for the police, and not politicians, to assess the value, if any, to be given to such assurances. We have heard them before. Gerry Adams got 'solid assurances' when Frank Kerr was shot dead at Newry Post Office, and he got more when Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was shot dead in Adare.

"He (Murphy) should also tell the police where and when the assurances were given.

"Did he drop into South Armagh Battalion HQ for a chat in the officers' mess, or did he go straight to the OC of the Cullyhanna Unit? Did he use the ministerial car? If he did, the ministerial driver should be questioned about where he went and who he met.

"Political interference in a murder inquiry is a very serious matter, particularly at ministerial level. Conor Murphy should look to his pledge of office. On my reading it does not permit ministerial consultation with criminal paramilitary gang leaders who may themselves be suspects in a murder inquiry."

Sinn Fein last week continued to deny there was any "republican" involvement in the killing.

- Jim Cusack

Could this be the beginning of the end for Murphy?

[Wasp]

How is it bollocks? SF denied any republican involvement, is this sf worker not a republican then?

[Wasp]

Murphy and Adams said that there was no republican involvement, murphy went to the ira and they 'assured' him that no republicans were involved, but it seems that there was indeed republican involvement. The sinn feim worker's family is well known in the area as being prominent in smuggling and laundering as well as him being a member of the ira.

No offence to you setanta but sinn fein in N.Ireland are simply a disgrace.

[Wasp]

HANG on I am not lapping up just media reports, I am listening to the family, friends and sinn fein's response. These people are republicans, they are sinn fein voters yet sinn fein blame this on a criminal gang because crime was involved. What evidence does sinn fein have that P. Quinn was a criminal and what evidence do they have that this was all because of criminal activities???

There are plenty of things you have believed in, plenty you have commented on without concrete evidence. Haven't you commented on newspaper articles about the British etc? Can you not see that leaving the media aside even sinn fein voters are protesting at all that has happened, and these same voters live in the area and have done for years.

What about what the gardai had to say about the suspect and his family, are you disregarding that also?

[bearhunter]

He's got a point Setanta. It seems SF is simply sticking its fingers in its ears and going "LALALALALALALALALA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU" whenever anyone brings up the fact that republicans clearly were involved.

[Wasp]

In all seriousness if this man was killed by loyalist thugs, such as those mentioned in Portadown or even killed by the security forces, sinn fein would be swarming the family to milk every bit of propaganda they could get.

They would be very vocal and visible in their plight to help and support the family.

It is very, very strange that no-one from sinn fein attended the funeral even though according to sinn fein their was no republican involvement. This in itself is raising suspicians as to why sinn fein were not represented at the funeral, especially a funeral of a family who voted and supported sinn fein.

I honestly think Murphy will be on his way out at the end of all this, he will be the scapegoat to show that sinn fein have acted accordingly in dealing with any wrongdoing.

[Wasp]

Former sinn fein councillor J. McAllister says: "Immediately after Paul died, several unionist councillors rang me looking for the family's number. As decent people, they wanted to offer their condolences. To my knowledge, it took Sinn Féin three days to make contact with the Quinns, and then through a circuitous route.

"The day after the killing, Conor Murphy (local Sinn Féin MP) told the media he was puzzled as to why the family alleged IRA involvement. Conor had no need to be puzzled. He could have picked up the phone to ask them."

"They know about the mobile diesel plant near Crossmaglen run by IRA men. They know who is still laundering fuel in Provo ranks. They know about the industrial alcohol imported from Lithuania and Czechoslovakia diluted and sold by Provos even though it's dangerous to drink. If Gerry Adams find himself with a few minutes free from making money writing his books, and wants to know who these people are, let him come down here and I'll tell him."

From the same article;
In 1998, Andrew Kearney rowed with the IRA's North Belfast OC who had mistreated a woman in a bar. In a fist fight, Kearney knocked out the Provo. A fortnight later, eight IRA men burst into his flat as his baby daughter slept on his chest. They smashed the telephone, dragged him to the lift outside, and shot him. He bled to death in his boxer shorts. They jammed the lift with a pole to make getting help difficult. Clutching her baby, his girlfriend had to run down 16 flights of stairs to ring an ambulance. The North Belfast OC wasn't expelled..

Absolutely shocking.

[Wasp]

Setanta by milking the situation I mean getting as much of the headlines as possible. That does not mean however that sinn fein would only be using the murder for propaganda because obviously they would be genuinely doing everything to help the family. But not in this case which is disturbing.

Here are some points from the Quinn support group site.

(1)Sinn Féin has described the murder as a falling out between "criminals" and "fuel-launderers".

Adams continued: "I note from some press reports that Paul's father is reported as accusing me of 'blackening' your son's name with allegations of criminality.

"I wish to assure you that at no point have I said anything which should be misconstrued in this way. In my remarks to the media after his murder, I said that, in my view, his death was linked to fuel-smuggling involving criminals."

Where is sinn fein's proof of this?

(2) The campaigners have challenged Sinn Fein over why, despite publicly denouncing the murder, none of its local representatives -- including the local MP and Stormont minister, Conor Murphy -- attended Paul Quinn's funeral.

A statement criticised Terry Hearty, Colman Burns, Anthony Flynn, and PJ McDonald for not attending the victim's funeral or a public meeting in Cullyhanna this week.

Doesn't sound like they did not want any sinn fein members at the funeral, they are asking why did no-one from sinn fein attend the funeral.

(3) local SDLP MLA, Dominic Bradley challenged Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy over his statement that he had met the local IRA leadership who had assured him there was no IRA involvement.

As Bradley also asked is Murphy going to pass on all info to the police as to where and when these 'assurances' were given? Has he broke his pledge of office by talking to criminals who may be suspects in a murder enquiry?

(4) Paul's brother James said he recalled signs that appeared on local roads during the hunger strikes stating that those in "Long Kesh were not criminals".

"Well, my brother is not a criminal. He hadn't 2p. They said there was a criminal fight or a feud. But when you have a dozen cowards in boiler suits and balaclavas with iron bars who killed a fellow with 2p in his pocket - what feud was that? There was no feud, just brutality and murder."

So why did Adam's and co say it was a feud among criminals? Where is their proof? Why were they so quick to make that claim yet republicans are saying wait to see the evidence before anyone points the finger? So basically they can come out with such a wild claim with no evidence to back it up so soon after the murder, yet they tell others to wait and see the evidence as to if republicans were involved. Highly hypocritical stance to take.

[Jim]

If SF "workers" had something to do with it then surely the PSNI would also know this?

Or is the Sunday Independant pulling a Sun?

What, exactly, is an SF "worker"? Last I checked Sinn Fein wasnt a factory.

[Blue Angel]

it's obviously the people who put the er, gold (and i use the word loosely) on them tacky old badges you see on the sinn fein site at the shop (come on setanta please tell them to get some better ones than the ones on display there -the one with james connolly on is particulary crap looking.

On a more serious note, a Sinn Fein worker is anyone who has ever sold a raffle ticket for them I'd guess which technically would make me one - it's a loose term and the sort of linguistic juggling the independent loves.

[Jim]

The independant is for crusty old tories, with an irish passport. Its a joke.

couldnt be any more different than the uk version.

[Wasp]

Ok let's forget about the independant, what about the people on the ground, those who live there and the family circle of this man. These same people are not Unionists or sdlp voters, they are sinn fein voters and they are republicans.

If this was something to do with collusion I would be told sure collusion has been happening for years etc, well punishment beatings and murder has been happening for years.

My guess would be that this person done a bit more than sell raffle tickets for sinn fein, maybe setanta could explain what his actual work involved. Apart from Setanta I haven't seen too much from the republican viewpoint on this. I suppose weighing up what a sinn fein worker means, the newspaper and the tories is a good way to avoid dealing with the actual posts made on this thread.

[Blue Angel]

not really wasp - i think setanta has given you reasonable answers at points - there are times when sinn fein cause even me to grit my teeth via their evasive nature but i think setanta has answered the questions posed reasonably. And my take is BOTH collusion and punishment beatings and murders have been happening for years and have been carried out by ALL sides in the conflict. Everyone has blood on their hands, whether it be the IRA, UVF, British army or whomsoever. Punishment beatings are something I won't deny cause me moral problems to put it mildy. But Setanta did point out that Adams actually qouted from the Gardai's own reports for example at one point.

It's a shocking waste of a young man's life

[Jim]

wasp said:

Ok let's forget about the independant, what about the people on the ground, those who live there and the family circle of this man. These same people are not Unionists or sdlp voters, they are sinn fein voters and they are republicans.

If this was something to do with collusion I would be told sure collusion has been happening for years etc, well punishment beatings and murder has been happening for years.

My guess would be that this person done a bit more than sell raffle tickets for sinn fein, maybe setanta could explain what his actual work involved. Apart from Setanta I haven't seen too much from the republican viewpoint on this. I suppose weighing up what a sinn fein worker means, the newspaper and the tories is a good way to avoid dealing with the actual posts made on this thread.

If you want my view point on this it seems newspapers know more than the police do. I dont deny punishment beatings and murder havent been happening. I dont know what the person has done for SF, I just pointed out that "SF worker" is very very vague. Worker can go from anywhere from electioneering to driving voters to polling stations to selling feckin' raffle tickets.

It doesnt matter what their job at SF was, a worker and a leader are the same thing to these papers, theyd blame SF on it if they found a word that happened to have the letters "s" and "f" in it.

No ones avoiding anything Wasp, I genuinely don't know, I dont even go up that side of the woods, I've no business in the arse hole of Armagh. Ontop of that, I've no reason to defend Sf on this one, i'm not a member of Sinn Fein in any way

[Jim]

You sound fairly active setanta have you never thought about putting your name forward for council or dail elections?