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Updated 10.17pm
A MAN ARRESTED in connection with a double murder at a Co Meath hotel in 1987 has been released without charge.
Gardaí in Drogheda had arrested the man, aged in his 60s, this morning in the Dublin area in connection with the murders committed over 30 years ago.
On Tuesday 20 January 1987, Thomas “Ta” Power and John O’Reilly were shot dead at the Rosnaree Hotel on the Dublin Road, outside Drogheda, Co Louth. Both were members of the INLA.
The pair had arrived at the hotel with two other men at around 4.30pm that day. Around 45 minutes later, another car arrived and two men entered the hotel.
They pulled nylon stockings over their faces, walked into the bar and began firing at the four men.
John O’Reilly was pronounced dead at the scene, while Power died of his injuries later in hospital.
The gunmen fled in a Toyota Cressida which was found burnt out thirty miles away in Summerhill, Co Meath.
The man arrested in connection with the murders was detained today in the Dublin area.
He is currently being held at Drogheda Garda Station under Section 30 Offences Against the State Act.
The case was reconstructed in an episode of RTÉ’s Crimecall earlier this year.
In an appeal in March, gardaí said that they were hoping “with the passage of time, a change in personal circumstances, someone may now be in a position to come forward”.
Additional reporting Cianan Brennan
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Great news. Glad they didn’t give up the search.
I suppose it is counter productive jailing these men too.
@phil: in some countries after 21 years you do not get charged . So that’s not bad
@phil: I’ve no idea what goes on in Gerry Adams’ head but after the shenanigans with the stack family I wouldn’t wonder why he would be reluctant to help others. In fact I’d like to ask Edna how he’s forgotten the suffering of the Stack family since he was put out to grass?.
@Mary Murphy: exactly Mary.
Austin stack is doing other victims a massive disservice,he really needs to de-politicise his rhetoric
Inla that was the crazy bunch. Interesting some of their former comrades are doing well. I wonder what Eoghan Harris thinks of his former friends being arrested.
@prop joe: STS
Looks like Bjorn Berg.
@James Bishop: I was thinking Bjorn Borg.
I’d say it was probably the IPLO.
@Donal O’Leary: I’d say wiser not to comment
Anyone know the motive for the killing ? Was it an internal fued?
@Funfair: As Donal says above, it was likely the IPLO who were formed a year earlier in 1986 from former disgruntled INLA members. A bad bunch, they were responsible for the spraying of a protestant pub with bullets killing two, along with other killings. They were “disbanded” by the Provos in 1992.
@Funfair: so yeah as the result of a split and subsequent feud, probably. Although you never know.
@billy Dorney: are there any IPLO men left to prosecute???
.i think the Provos swatted them all in their night of the long knives in 1992
@Martin Doherty: as Manuel says,”I know nothing”
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