Newry Republican Youth

Eoin Morley (above) leading a H-Block march in the early 80s

Eoin Morley was a committed Republican who was born, and lived most of his short life in the Derrybeg estate in Newry. Growing up through the height of the conflict in the North Of Ireland, Eoin even at a very early age made the decision to engage the enemy's of the Irish people, and to defend his area from attack by the Brits and their proxy's. Eoin came from a strongly Republican family, indeed his father Davey was the O.C of the PIRA prisoners in the cages of Long Kesh throughout his detention in the 70's and his Mother was prominent in the Republican Movement in Newry .
His families profile led to his house being regularly ransacked by the Brits. During this time he regularly seen his own family and friends brutalised and beaten by British Soldiers. Like other Republicans in Derrybeg, instead of breaking the spirit of the community, this only served to galvanise Eoin into resistance.
Eoin was prevalent in the street resistance that took place in Derrybeg to support the Blanketmen and Hunger Strikes of the early eighties. This led Eoin to make the move on to armed resistance. He joined the PIRA and was an active operator in the Newry area, inflicting serious casualties on the occuping forces in daring gun and bomb attacks during this time. At the end of the 80's, Eoin became disillusioned with the PIRA and left, going travelling working over Europe providing security to some of the biggest music stars of that time while they were on tour.
However Eoin could not ignore what was going on back home, and he returned to Newry and carried on his resistance, joining the IPLO. During this time he again regularly engaged the enemy in the Newry area.
On Easter Sunday 15th of April 1990 Eoin was in his girlfriends home in the Meadow when an armed gang came. Eoin was fatally shot in the back in the ensuing struggle.
Initially no grouping claimed responsibility for Eoins murder, until a ballistic report linked the PIRA to the killing. In a subsequent statement they admitted they carried out the attack, claiming Eoin had "passed on information" leading to arms being lost.
Many Republicans were suspicious of this statement and refused to believe it. Eoins family issued a statement vehemently denying the allegation, pointing to their suspicions that British agent where responsible for Eoins murder.
In 2005, after a complaint to the Police Ombudsman's office, an investigation was carried out that found that the RUC had various evidence to identify and apprehend Eoins murderers, but that the special branch "shielded" Eoins murderers. In a subsequent book, a British agent who had infiltrated the PIRA admitted to being one of the murder gang. He went on to say how his handlers whooped with joy at the news of Eoins death. There is strong suspicion he wasn't the only agent in the murder gang that night.
At Easter, 2007, 17 years after his murder, the PIRA issued a full apology for their part in Eoins murder and the cover up that followed. They admitted that no order was ever issued to kill Eoin, and that in no way was he an informant.
Collusion between the British and their proxy's took many forms throughout the struggle. Eoin was another victim of that collusion, murdered at the behest of British Security Agents. His courage in engaging the enemies of the Irish people should be rightly remembered. May he now, Rest In Peace

The IRA has issued an apology for the killing of a Newry man. Eoin Morley (23), an “active Republican” was shot and killed in Iveagh Crescent in the city, on April 15, 1990 – Easter Sunday.

At the time, allegations were made that he was an informer but in a statement released last week the IRA leadership described those allegations as "incorrect and totally inaccurate".

“The killing of Eoin Morley was wrong. The IRA leadership offers it apologies to the Morley family for the grief and pain they have suffered as a result of our actions and the subsequent false allegations levelled against Eoin Morley.”

The apology comes after the Provisionals met with Mr Morley’s mother and conducted an in-depth inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Mr Morley’s family welcomed the statement describing it as a “bold move” by the PIRA.

“We understand that it would have been easier for the Provisional movement to continue with the charade, that there were the ever changing reasons given to try to justify Eoin’s murder.

“For the PIRA to take the unprecedented step of fully retracting the explanation given at the time and in subsequent statements and to apologise for what happened is a bold move and we, Eoin’s family, welcome it.”

From the outset, Mr Morley’s family have argued that he was murdered by informers under the protection of RUC Special Branch and the PIRA’s apology they say has corroborated what they have “known for years”.

“Eoin was an active republican. The only people to benefit from his murder were the enemies of Republicanism. It has now been established that the RUC Special Branch shielded Eoin’s killers, helping them to plan the killing and avoid prosecution, even though a wealth of evidence was available against them.”