Mother of murdered Paul Quinn: 'Who really runs Sinn Féin?'
The mother of murdered Paul Quinn has asked "who really runs Sinn Féin?" as she continues her quest to clear her son's name.
Mr Quinn (21) from Cullyhanna in south Armagh was beaten to death by a gang of around a dozen men in a farm shed on the border near Castleblayney, Co Monaghan in 2007.
His family blames members of the IRA, but Sinn Féin has long denied republican involvement.
A month after the murder, the north’s finance minister Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy, claimed Mr Quinn was involved in “smuggling and criminality”.
His parents Breege and Steven Quinn attended the Dáil today as TDs returned to the chamber for the first time in two weeks.
Outside Leinster House, Mrs Quinn spoke of her hurt after she heard a member of her own community in Newry tell Conor Murphy that he had "nothing to apologise for" during a Sinn Féin public meeting, and the remark went unchallenged by Mr Murphy and Mary Lou McDonald.
"Just last week at a rally in our own community we heard someone state to a room full of people that Conor Murphy had nothing to apologise for in relation to Paul's murder, this went unchallenged by Mary Lou McDonald and flies in the face of her phonecall only a few weeks ago, she remained silent and to say we are disappointed is an understatement," she said.
There are no words for the hurt and humiliation we feel to hear those words applauded at a political rally and yet we are the ones who are accused of making this political
"This last week has been a difficult one but it has strengthened our resolve."
Mr Murphy has since publicly apologised for comments made 13 years ago. However, he stopped short of stating Mr Quinn was not a criminal.
Ms Quinn believes that Mr Murphy is "afraid of the men he spoke to in Cullyhanna", referring to IRA men which Mr Murphy said at the time told him they played no part in the murder.
"I've asked Mary Lou McDonald to ask Conor to say it, she has said it was best that that be done around a table...Well, Conor Murphy didn't make the slur about Paul around the table; he did it on national television," Mrs Quinn added.
Who's the leader of Sinn Féin now? Is it Mary Lou McDonald or is it the IRA? It seems Mary Lou has no say in telling Conor Murphy to come out and give the Quinn family justice.
Steven and Breege Quinn will meet with all political parties in the Dáil except Sinn Féin, and say they are not interested in sitting down with the party until they have their request fulfilled.
"It is not well documented what we expect, we repeat our call on Conor Murphy to say the simple words that Paul Quinn was not a criminal, and go to the PSNI and Gardai with the names of the IRA men he spoke to in Cullyhanna," Mrs Quinn said.
"We are not satisfied by obscure gestures and apologies from Mary Lou McDonald and Conor Murphy, the slur still remains and is being actively promoted by Sinn Féin."
When asked about Mrs Quinn's comments, a Sinn Féin spokesperson said: "Conor Murphy has apologised for the remarks that he made and has unreservedly withdrawn them."
