THE family of murdered GAA man Seán Brown have called on the Irish community in Britain to support their campaign for a public inquiry into his death.
Members of the Brown family and their supporters will be in London this week to host a public meeting at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith before their case is heard at the Supreme Court later this month.
“In advance of the Supreme Court hearing we will explain our campaign to get at the truth behind the murder of our father,” Mr Brown’s daughter Siobhán Brown told the Irish Post.
Seán Brown was murdered in Derry in 1997“Please join us and bring a friend.”
Mr Brown was killed in 1997. The 61-year-old father-of-six, who hailed from Bellaghy in Co. Derry, was abducted by loyalist paramilitaries after locking the gates of the Bellaghy Wolf Tones GAA club, where he was an instructor.
He was later shot six times near Randalstown in Co. Antrim, where his body was found next to his burnt-out car.
Noone has ever been convicted of Mr Brown’s murder, but a 2024 inquest into his death was told that state agents had been involved.
That inquest was discontinued due to the volume of documents related to the case which were withheld from the hearing on grounds of national security.
In December of that year a High Court Judge in Belfast ruled that a public inquiry should be held to investigate the full extent of state collusion in Mr Brown’s death.
However, later that month the British Government lodged an appeal against the ruling.
That appeal is set to be heard at the Supreme Court in Westminster on October 27.
Seán's wife Bridie Brown is now 89 years old (Pic: Pat Finucane Centre)“We have tried everything and got nowhere because of the decision that so-called ‘national security’ is more important than the truth about a brutal murder,” Ms Brown said.
“Our mother Bridie appealed to the Secretary of State not to ‘drag her to London’ but they have done just that. It’s shameful.”
The Brown family have campaigned to get the truth about their father’s killing for nearly 30 years.
That has seen them attend 57 court hearings, with Mr Brown’s wife Bridie, who is now aged 89, present at the majority of them.
While in London this week, the family will be joined by their legal team from KRW Law and Pat Finucane Centre director Paul O’Connor.
“We are hoping to inform people on Wednesday, October 14 of this case so that they will come out and support us at the Supreme Court on the morning of October 27,” Mr O’Connor told The Irish Post.
“The support of the Irish community, the GAA and the Irish Government has been pivotal in saying to the Secretary of State that this case is not going to go away,” he added.
“Their normal ploy is to keep kicking the can down the road,” Mr O’Connor explained.
“But Bridie Brown is a massive headache for them because she clearly has massive support.
“The family has the support of the GAA community across the island of Ireland, and we would hope the London GAA would similarly mobilise their members to come along to our event on Wednesday and to the Supreme Court later this month,” Mr O’Connor said.
“It’s absolutely vital that the authorities see that this case has widespread support and it’s really good for the family too.”
Campaigners are calling for a public inquiry into Seán Brown's murderMr O’Connor says the Brown family have come to their final option in terms of gaining answers about their father’s death, as a public inquiry is the only legal mechanism which can deal with classified materials and redacted documents – of which Mr Brown’s case has plenty.
“At every level, the courts here, right up to the highest level - which is the Court of Appeal, have agreed with the family of Seán Brown that there should be a public inquiry into his death,” Mr O’Connor explained.
“Every other legal mechanism to look at this case and investigate it has been attempted and failed, largely because of the number of classified documents related to it,” he added.
“There are some 90 pages redacted in his case, from the national security service, the Ministry of Defence and from the police.
“There is nowhere else for the family to go to find out the truth of what actually happened but a public inquiry.”
Mr O’Connor is “hopeful” the ruling to hold a public inquiry into Seán Brown’s death will be upheld by the Supreme Court.
“What we would hope is the Supreme Court will rule that actually this case is exceptional in terms of everything that has been attempted so far and agree with their own colleagues in the judiciary here that the only way to resolve this matter is through a public inquiry,” he said.
The Supreme Court hearing will be held in Parliament Square, Westminster on October 27.
“We will have a fairly big turnout from the Brown family at the court,” Mr O’Connor said.
“We are asking people to join us outside the Supreme Court at 8.30am on October 27th at 8.30am,” he added.
A public meeting will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday, October 14 at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith. All are invited to attend.
Everything from irishpost.com and the print edition is available on the Irish Post App — plus more! Download it for Android or Apple IOS devices today.
See More: Bridie Brown, GAA, Ireland, London, Public Inquiry, Sean Brown
