FIFTY years after the murder of a senior IRA member in Co Monaghan, Sinn Féin has accused the British government of “hiding behind a veil of secrecy”.
John Francis Green, originally from Lurgan, was found shot dead near Castleblayney at a farmhouse in January 1975.
No one has ever been convicted for his murder, but it is alleged the notorious loyalist Glenanne gang was responsible.
The group which included members of the RUC, UDR and UVF is believed to have been responsible for up to 120 murders in the Mid Ulster area in the 1970s.
It was also previously alleged that the murdered British Army Captain Robert Nairac was involved in Mr Green’s killing – but this theory was dismissed in 2018 by a former police officer who spent two years investigating the case.
The actions of the Glenanne gang have also been the subject of a major investigation by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland, known as Operation Newham.
Speaking at a memorial to Mr Green in Castleblayney over the weekend, Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy described a “cruel and calculated assassination.” “The circumstances of his killing remain shrouded in secrecy, and unanswered questions linger half a century later,” he said.
“It has long been suspected, indeed each of us here are certain, that John Francis was the victim of collusion between British state forces and loyalist paramilitaries they controlled.”
He claimed the truth had been “deliberately concealed and justice has been denied” and that “the British government cannot be allowed to continue hiding behind a veil of secrecy”.
Remembering John Francis Green today in Castleblayney for the 50th Anniversary of his assassination. A great turnout for...
Posted by Monaghan Sinn Féin on Sunday, January 12, 2025
