Paul Quinn: Terror watchdog says IRA members who were losing respect carried out murder

By Philip Bradfield
Published 5th Feb 2020, 18:34 BST
Updated 6th Feb 2020, 12:01 BST
Paul Quinn, the son of Breege and Stephen Quinn, who was beaten to death by a gang of around a dozen men in a farm shed near Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, in 2007. PA Photo.Paul Quinn, the son of Breege and Stephen Quinn, who was beaten to death by a gang of around a dozen men in a farm shed near Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, in 2007. PA Photo.
Paul Quinn, the son of Breege and Stephen Quinn, who was beaten to death by a gang of around a dozen men in a farm shed near Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, in 2007. PA Photo.
In 2008 a paramilitary watchdog said Paul Quinn’s murder was carried out by current or former IRA members who found it difficult to accept their waning respect.

The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) said the murder “was planned and carried out by local people and that it arose from local disputes”.

It added: “Whatever the immediate reason for the killing certain aspects of these disputes go back some time and were not unconnected with continuing illegal activity;

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“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 Fein. We are aware of no evidence linking the leadership

of PIRA to the incident.”

The IMC noted that senior Sinn Fein figures publicly condemned the murder and called for information to be given to the Garda and PSNI. However it did not attribute the killing to the IRA for several reasons, one of which was “the local and personal nature of its roots”.

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It added: “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.”

It recognised that this “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.”