Family of murdered GAA official meet Irish deputy PM

The Brown family and GAA president Jarlath Burns (back row, third from right) met Simon Harris at Government Buildings in Dublin

The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown have said they had a "very positive" meeting with the Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris and that they left him in "no doubt" about their ongoing campaign for a public inquiry into the murder.

The meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin on Monday took place on the 28th anniversary of Mr Brown's death.

The father of six was abducted and shot dead by members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) as he locked gates at Bellaghy GAA club, County Londonderry, in 1997.

He was 61 years old when he died.

Mr Brown's 87-year-old wife Bridie attended the meeting, alongside her daughters Siobhan Brown and Clare Loughran.

Speaking afterwards, Siobhan said the tánaiste had been "very empathetic" about their father's case.

She said: "We have made it known what we need."

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal affirmed a previous court ruling compelling the UK government to hold a public inquiry into his killing.

The government said it intends to seek a Supreme Court appeal over the ruling ordering it to hold a public inquiry.

A previous court also ruled that the government's refusal to hold an inquiry was unlawful.

There have been two police investigations and a Police Ombudsman investigation into Mr Brown's murder.

Tánaiste commends Brown family

During the meeting, Harris told the Brown family the absence of an effective investigation into Sean Brown's death was "simply unacceptable".

He also commended Bridie Brown and her family on their tireless campaign for truth over the last 28 years.

Speaking afterwards, he said the anniversary of Mr Brown's death was a stark reminder his family have "waited far too long for truth and accountability".

"I reiterated this point, as I have previously, to the secretary of state for Northern Ireland in a phone call with him last Friday," he said.

"I say it again today and I will continue to use every channel available to me to pursue this matter.

"In the absence of an effective investigation into his death – which the UK government agrees has not yet taken place – the passage of time makes this increasingly pressing."

Sean Brown's widow Bridie holds a picture of her murdered husband

GAA President Jarlath Burns was also part of the delegation in support of the Brown family.

He said he was also there to represent the support of "all GAA people".

Mr Burns said he was "heartened" by what he heard from the tánaiste, adding that the Irish government had lent its support "right from the beginning" and the campaign knew that "it will continue".

Last year during an inquest, it emerged that more than 25 people, including state agents, had been linked by intelligence material to Mr Brown's murder.

In March 2024, a coroner said the inquest could not continue due to material being withheld on the grounds of national security.

He decided that redactions of intelligence material meant he could not properly investigate the circumstances of the killing.

The coroner later wrote to the then secretary of state, Chris Heaton-Harris, requesting a public inquiry into the case.