Politics

Murdered prison officer’s family urge questioning of Gerry Adams

Taoiseach and Tánaiste tell Brian Stack’s family nothing would hamper investigation

Sheila Stack with sons Austin (left) and Oliver prior to their meeting with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste at Government Buildings. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Sheila Stack with sons Austin (left) and Oliver prior to their meeting with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste at Government Buildings. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Sarah Bardon
Fri Jan 13 2017 - 19:57

The family of murdered prison officer Brian Stack has accused Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams of "concealing information" about his murder.

Mr Stack’s wife Sheila and sons Austin and Oliver met Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald yesterday to discuss their concerns surrounding his case.

Mrs Stack said Mr Adams had information about her husband's murder and urged him to make that known to gardaí.

Austin Stack (left), son of murdered Brian Stack, confronts Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams (seated) during a Sinn Féin press conference in Dublin last December. File photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Austin Stack (left), son of murdered Brian Stack, confronts Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams (seated) during a Sinn Féin press conference in Dublin last December. File photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Prison officer Brian Stack, who was murdered in 1983. Photograph: Irish Prisons/PA Wire
Prison officer Brian Stack, who was murdered in 1983. Photograph: Irish Prisons/PA Wire

“Brian was a family man first and foremost. He served the State to the best of his ability and the State has let him down.

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“In particular we feel Gerry Adams is concealing information that he should do the honourable thing and anybody else who has information about this case [ie go to gardaí] so we can get closure,” she said.

Knowledge

Austin Stack said the family believed gardaí should have questioned the Sinn Féin leader about his knowledge of the killing.

"The Stack family note that on several occasions Deputy Adams has publicly called on anybody who has information regarding the murder of my father to go to An Garda Síochána.

“His own reluctance to do just this seems to imply that he holds himself above the law and is willing to apply a different set of standards to himself than he would to any other citizen of this republic.

“If Deputy Adams does not present himself to the gardaí we would fully expect that they would take steps to have him questioned,” he said.

Mr Stack was a prison officer in Portlaoise prison and was shot in the neck on March 25th, 1983 .

The Stack brothers met Mr Adams in 2013. The Sinn Féin leader took them in a blacked-out van to meet a senior IRA figure who told them the organisation was responsible for their father’s murder.

The family want Mr Adams to give to gardaí the identities of the person they met and the person who drove the van.

In February 2016, Mr Adams wrote to Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan giving the names of four individuals alleged to have information about the murder.

Mr Stack said the Taoiseach and Tánaiste assured the family all resources would be made available to the Garda to assist in the case.

He said Mr Kenny and Ms Fitzgerald insisted there would be no interference or obstacles to gardaí in investigating the crime.