Family of Sean Brown hail ‘very promising meeting’ with Tanaiste

By Cillian Sherlock and Rebecca Black (PA)

The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown have hailed a “very promising” meeting with Irish deputy premier Simon Harris.

Mr Brown’s daughter, Siobhan, said they left Mr Harris “in no uncertain terms what us as a family have been going through”.

In a statement after the meeting, Mr Harris said the Brown family have waited far too long for an investigation into his murder.

Mr Harris said the failure to effectively investigate the murder was “simply unacceptable”, and pledged to “continue to use every channel available to me to pursue this matter”.

It comes after the UK Government confirmed it will seek to appeal to the Supreme Court over a court ruling that ordered it to hold a public inquiry into the killing of Mr Brown.

Mr Brown, 61, the chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA Club in Co Londonderry, was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997.

No-one has ever been convicted of his killing.

Preliminary inquest proceedings last year heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.

It had also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.

Appeal Court judges in Belfast affirmed an earlier High Court ruling compelling the Government to hold a public inquiry.

It said the failure to hold such an inquiry was unlawful.

However, the Northern Ireland Secretary says the case involves a key constitutional principle of who should order public inquiries, the Government or the judiciary.

GAA president Jarlath Burns was part of the delegation which met Mr Harris at Government Buildings in Dublin on the 28th anniversary of Mr Brown’s murder.

Ms Brown said after the meeting that they had provided Mr Harris with “clear documents as to what we’ve received throughout the course of inquiries and the failings by the British Government in dealing with an article two compliant investigation into our father’s murder”.

“He (Mr Harris) was very empathetic to our cause today and listened closely to us and we look forward to the Irish Government working alongside us in support of a public inquiry into our father’s murder,” she said.

Speaking alongside her sister, Clare, and their elderly mother Bridie, she said they made it clear that the “only mechanism to go forward is to have a public inquiry”.

“At this point we do (have confidence in the Irish Government), he has been provided with copies of all the documents that we have in our possession. He is fully aware of all the redacted material.

“He is fully aware of the issues that we have encountered in this inquiry.”

Mr Burns said he was there to represent the “support of all the GAA people”.

“We have made it very clear that we will be with this family throughout this process, and I want to thank the Tanaiste for the time that he took to meet the family, the sympathy that he showed and the support that the Irish Government has given this family right from the beginning of this tragedy, and we know that that will continue and it will continue into his pressuring the British Government and (Northern Ireland Secretary) Hilary Benn to support the public inquiry as it should.

“That is not an unreasonable request on behalf of the family and we are heartened by his words today.”

Mr Harris also paid tribute to the family after the meeting

“Bridie Brown and her family have shown enormous strength in pursuing this case and I will continue to use my influence and that of the Irish Government to bring about a resolution that is acceptable to the Brown family. They have waited too long,” he said.

Tanaiste Simon Harris (second left) speaking to Sean Browns widow Bridie Brown (centre) and daughters Clare Loughlan (left) and Siobhan Brown (right) in Government Buildings about their ongoing campaign for a public inquiry into his murder (Photo  by PA)