In brief
The Irish State formally apologised to the family of Brian Stack, a senior prison officer killed by the IRA in 1983, after a review revealed serious investigative fails. The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, highlighted missing evidence and improper handling of the case. The apology came after years of the Stack family’s demand for justice, including a formal admission by the IRA in 2013. Irish foreign affairs minister Helen McEntee and Sinn Féin representatives also called the killings and investigative shortcomings “utterly unacceptable”. The statement is intended to recognise the state’s failings and offer a measure of closure to the victims’ family.
The Irish government formally apologised to the family of Brian Stack, a senior prison officer who was shot by the IRA in 1983, after a review exposed serious investigative failures.
Brian Stack was shot in the back of the neck as he walked home from a Dublin boxing match. The bullet left him paralysed; he died 18 months later at the age of 49. Despite three Garda investigations, no suspect was ever charged.
During a Dáil session the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, announced a state apology, condemned missing evidence and poor case management, and acknowledged that the IRA was responsible for the killing.
The apology followed a 2013 statement from the IRA admitting responsibility and a 2023 update that the Director of Public Prosecutions was sending the file back to police for further work.
Irish foreign affairs minister Helen McEntee added that the state “failed” the family and that the IRA’s actions “are responsible” for the tragedy. Sinn Féin’s representatives described the failures as “utterly unacceptable” and urged further apologies for past harms.
The Stack family, led by Sheila Stack and sons Austin, Kieran and Oliver, welcomed the apology as a step toward justice and comfort after decades of unanswered questions.
