The former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds has said that a sworn independent public inquiry will still have to be held if the people of Abbeylara are to be convinced the Gardaí did not stage a cover-up after the fatal shooting of John Carthy. The 27-year-old was shot dead by Gardaí after a siege at his home on this day last year. Mr Carthy's sister Marie said today that she was certain that her brother would still have been alive if the Gardaí had not confronted him.
The community in Abbeylara will gather tomorrow night for mass to mark the first anniversary of the shooting of John Carthy. At the cemetery in the village fresh flowers have been placed on the 27-year-old's grave. Next Tuesday, a Dáil sub-committee will begin its work on investigating the Abbeylara incident but after a Garda inquiry and an inquest many questions still remain about the shooting and its aftermath. The Carthy family repeated their call today for an independent inquiry into John's death.
