A priest who officiated at the funeral of murdered GAA official Sean Brown believes questions remain about why police Special Branch and MI5 continue to withhold information about the sectarian murder.
Monsignor Andy Dolan has broken his silence in a new book about the abduction and brutal murder of the 61-year-old as he locked up at Bellaghy GAA club on May 12, 1997.
‘A Bitter Harvest: the good life and unresolved murder of a Derry GAA man’ is penned by former Irish News journalist Garbhán Downey.
More than 25 people have been linked by intelligence to the murder, including state agents.
‘A Bitter Harvest: the Good Life and unresolved murder of a Derry GAA man’ has been penned by former Irish News journalist Garbhán Downey
An inquest into Mr Brown’s death was abandoned by a coroner in 2024 because of a refusal by state agencies to provide information about his murder.
Monsignor Dolan officiated at Mr Brown’s funeral, where he first raised concerns “the RUC investigation into Seán’s death would be fatally compromised”.
Now, almost 30 years later, the highly regarded priest believes “there had to have been collusion” and described the investigation into Mr Brown’s death as “total and deliberate neglect”.
Monsignor Dolan highlighted the state’s continued refusal to produce information about the murder.
“There are so many questions to be answered about the investigation – and how that policing ‘family’ of the Special Branch and MI5 are still withholding details of what happened,” he said.
The cleric highlighted the role of MI5 and its control over policing in the north.
“How can MI5 be allowed primacy over the PSNI while they continue to hide what they knew here? he said.
“We need to trust our guardians and for that they have to be held accountable.”
Monsignor Dolan said Mr Brown’s case “epitomises the worst of it all, which is why it is so important it is resolved”.
“I have to say, I am not entirely confident, however,” he said.
“They are old hands at this and have always been able to stick it out.
“They can be a bit nasty too as many other countries in the world can testify.”