Kevin Lunney: Police may have found Quinn executive attack scene
- Published
Gardaí (Irish police) may have found the location where Quinn Industrial Holdings executive Kevin Lunney was assaulted after being abducted.
Mr Lunney was taken from his home in Fermanagh by a gang of four masked men, badly beaten and dumped across the border in County Cavan.
An area of land was cordoned off on Sunday in Drumbade outside the village of Ballinagh in Cavan, RTÉ reported.
The attack was also condemned at weekend Masses in County Fermanagh.
On Sunday RTÉ reported that a container that gardaí suspect Mr Lunney may have been held in is now the subject of a forensic examination.
Police are also carrying out searches of the area, including a fenced off site with scrap metal.
All roads to the site have been closed off and the search is due to continue on Monday.
'Barbaric act'
RTÉ also said that gardaí believe they have identified one of the gang members.
Meanwhile, at weekend Masses, Fr Gerard Alwill, the parish priest in Derrylin condemned the attacks and called for an end to the violence "before somebody gets killed".
"Not only does this barbaric act run contrary to our Christian values, but it also runs totally against our own natural human values," he said.
"What happened was totally abhorrent to all decent people.
"To plan and carry out such a savage attack runs totally contrary to every sinew of human decency that is within us.
"I, as an individual, and we as a community, are both horrified and disgusted by the brutality of this attack and by the sheer heartlessness that could inflict such suffering on the wife, the children and the wider family of the individual concerned."
There have been dozens of attacks on the business and its executives in recent years.
Irish police carried out searches in County Cavan on Friday over Mr Lunney's assault.
On Friday, workers at Quinn Industrial Holdings in County Fermanagh held a rally calling for an end to attacks and the intimidation of the firm's management.
Mr Lunney was abducted from his car, near his home in Derrylin, County Fermanagh, at about 18:40 BST last Tuesday.
He was seriously assaulted before being left at the side of the road at Drumcoughill, County Cavan, some time before 21:00.
'Reign of terror'
Friday's police searches were in County Cavan.
At Friday's rally, hundreds of workers, joined by people from the local community came together in a show of unity with Mr Lunney.
A statement signed by more than 800 staff was read on their behalf, saying they "demand an end to this reign of terror, to all intimidation and attacks on management and their properties".
It added: "We call on local politicians, the PSNI and the gardaí to allocate whatever resources are necessary to bring these perpetrators to justice and bring to an end these brutal attacks."
QIH director John McCartin said for the first time people have "stood up en masse and made it known that those who attack and berate and defame and intimidate the people working in these businesses do not do so on behalf of this community".
Former billionaire Sean Quinn has repeatedly condemned the string of attacks on workers involved in his former companies, including Quinn Industrial Holdings.
- Published19 September 2019
- Published18 September 2019