THE MOTHER of a young man who was lured to a shed in Co. Monaghan and savagely beaten to death has appealed for information on the anniversary of his murder.
Seventeen years to the day after her son Paul's death, Breege Quinn says the pain is as raw as ever.
Meanwhile, An Garda Síochána say they believe 'people may be in a position now to provide answers' into the 21-year-old's murder.
'Savagely beaten'
"On October 7, 2007, Paul Quinn was lured to outbuildings in sheds at Tullyvanus, Co. Monaghan, where he was savagely beaten to death by a gang of eight to 10 masked men," said Superintendent Ronan Carey.
Mr Quinn, from Cullyhanna, Co. Armagh, was reportedly beaten with iron bars and nail-studded clubs, resulting in every major bone in his body being broken.
He was brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co. Louth, where he died from his injuries later that day.
Mr Quinn's family believe members of the IRA were involved in his murder, however, Sinn Féin has denied this.
A 2008 report from the Independent Monitoring Commission said it believed some of the people involved 'had in various ways been associated with the PIRA at a local level'.
However, 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."
So far 23 people have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation — 14 by An Garda Síochána and nine by the PSNI — while more than 2,200 lines of enquiry have been generated.
"We firmly believe that the answers to this murder, or the evidence that we require to progress this investigation, lies within the community,” said Superintendent Carey.
"[We believe] that relationships change, or the nature of them, and that people may be in a position now to provide answers to us or come forward to us and give us information that they may not have been previously in a position to do so.
"We want to provide the answers and we want to provide justice to Paul, to his mother, Breege, and his father, Stephen."
He added: "Today, I want to make an appeal to you. I want to appeal to members of the community out there who feel they have information to come forward."
'It's no easier today'
Speaking this week, an emotional Breege Quinn recalled how her son left home to pick up a friend from a football match and never returned.
"He didn't call me mammy, he called me Breege," she said.
"It'd be, 'Well Breege, how are we today?' and if I was standing at the kitchen window, he'd come behind me and he'd lift me up in the air.
"He was full of devilment but he had a great sense of humour.
"Paul left here that day to pick up his friend from a football match and he got a call to go to a shed to help his friend to clean out the shed.
"Paul went anyway and there were men there and they tied him up and they beat him to death."
She added: "The gardaí are still investigating the murder. Please go [and speak to them] and give us justice.
"It's 17 years now, it's horrific.
"It's no easier today than it was that evening that he died."
Gardaí continue to liaise with the Quinn family, who are updated regularly on any developments in the case.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Castleblayney Garda Station on 042 974 7900 or Carrickmacross Garda Station on 042 969 0197.
Information can also be provided by phone or in person at any garda station nationwide or via the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111.
An Garda Síochána say all information will be treated in the strictest confidence.
