16 October 1997 Edition
Back issue: Seamus Costello assassinated
Last Wednesday afternoon in Dublin Seamus Costello, leader of the Irish Republican Socialist Party, and prominent republican for over 20 years, was assassinated as he sat in his car. A man armed with a sawn-off shotgun fired two blasts and ran off down into North Strand. The Sticks, whose Republicans Clubs' members in the North had had a prolonged feud with the IRSP in 1975, denied any involvement.
The Irish Republican Army in a statement also denied any involvement. (There was a general suspicion that British agents were involved in the killing and attempts would be made to stir up inter-Republican strife. This was strengthened by a Dublin newspaper which carried a story on ``A telephone claim of responsibility from Saor Eire'' and the statement from the IRSP leadership, ``We believe there are pseudo SAS-type gangs operating in Dublin'').
Mr Costello was buried in Bray and James Daly gave the oration. Prominent republicans, including Ruairi O'Bradaigh and Charlie McGlade, attended the funeral at which a volley of shots was fired in salute. Nora Connolly O'Brien, daughter of executed republican leader James Connolly, presided.
Part of the oration read:
But he was a Volunteer soldier of the people. He was not a military elitist, but a believer in the self-liberation of the Irish people by mass political activity. As a soldier of the people he was a genuine man of peace, unlike the mercenary ``Peace'' Movement, which exists only to encourage Irish people to be informers to their British oppressors.
The Irish Republican Army in a statement also denied any involvement. (There was a general suspicion that British agents were involved in the killing and attempts would be made to stir up inter-Republican strife. This was strengthened by a Dublin newspaper which carried a story on ``A telephone claim of responsibility from Saor Eire'' and the statement from the IRSP leadership, ``We believe there are pseudo SAS-type gangs operating in Dublin'').
Mr Costello was buried in Bray and James Daly gave the oration. Prominent republicans, including Ruairi O'Bradaigh and Charlie McGlade, attended the funeral at which a volley of shots was fired in salute. Nora Connolly O'Brien, daughter of executed republican leader James Connolly, presided.
Part of the oration read:
But he was a Volunteer soldier of the people. He was not a military elitist, but a believer in the self-liberation of the Irish people by mass political activity. As a soldier of the people he was a genuine man of peace, unlike the mercenary ``Peace'' Movement, which exists only to encourage Irish people to be informers to their British oppressors.