EAMON COLLINS MURDERED BY REPUBLICAN WITH GRUDGE
Eamon Collins 'murdered by republican with grudge'
THERE was increased speculation last night that a senior republican in the south Armagh/north Louth area with links to the IRA carried out the murder of Eamon Collins because of a personal vendetta.
It is thought the man, who had an acrimonious dispute with Mr Collins last year, organised the murder as a brutal act of revenge.
Sources on both sides of the border told the Irish News that the murder was not an operation sanctioned by the IRA leadership.
Last night a caller to a Belfast newsroom, claiming to be from the Real IRA and using a recognised codeword, denied its group had anything to do with the murder.
The RUC last night said they wanted to eliminate from their inquiries the occupants of a white Peugeot car observed close to the spot where Mr Collins was murdered shortly after 6am on Wednesday.
Mr Collins had been a trenchant critic of the so-called Real IRA - especially after the August 15 atrocity in Omagh which left 29 people dead - and there was some suspicion that he died at the hands of the dissidents.
But it is now viewed as more likely that the senior IRA member had Mr Collins murdered.
Mr Collins, who joined the IRA in south Armagh in 1979 and admitted participating in several murders, was found dead yards from his home in Newry Co Down early on Wednesday morning.
He had been painting over graffiti accusing him of being an RUC informer near his Barcroft Park home when he was killed.
It was originally thought that he was the victim of hit-and-run, but detectives later established that Mr Collins was brutally murdered.
Mr Collins' remains will leave his home in Barcroft Park at 1.15pm today for 2pm Requiem Mass in St Catherine's Church, Dominic Street, before being buried at Monkshill cemetery.
THERE was increased speculation last night that a senior republican in the south Armagh/north Louth area with links to the IRA carried out the murder of Eamon Collins because of a personal vendetta.
It is thought the man, who had an acrimonious dispute with Mr Collins last year, organised the murder as a brutal act of revenge.
Sources on both sides of the border told the Irish News that the murder was not an operation sanctioned by the IRA leadership.
Last night a caller to a Belfast newsroom, claiming to be from the Real IRA and using a recognised codeword, denied its group had anything to do with the murder.
The RUC last night said they wanted to eliminate from their inquiries the occupants of a white Peugeot car observed close to the spot where Mr Collins was murdered shortly after 6am on Wednesday.
Mr Collins had been a trenchant critic of the so-called Real IRA - especially after the August 15 atrocity in Omagh which left 29 people dead - and there was some suspicion that he died at the hands of the dissidents.
But it is now viewed as more likely that the senior IRA member had Mr Collins murdered.
Mr Collins, who joined the IRA in south Armagh in 1979 and admitted participating in several murders, was found dead yards from his home in Newry Co Down early on Wednesday morning.
He had been painting over graffiti accusing him of being an RUC informer near his Barcroft Park home when he was killed.
It was originally thought that he was the victim of hit-and-run, but detectives later established that Mr Collins was brutally murdered.
Mr Collins' remains will leave his home in Barcroft Park at 1.15pm today for 2pm Requiem Mass in St Catherine's Church, Dominic Street, before being buried at Monkshill cemetery.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0271
Published Date: 29-Jan-99
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.