Gardaí leading the investigation into the murder of Paul Quinn at Tullyvanus, outside Castleblayney, have made a fresh appeal on the 19th anniversary of his death, speaking directly to the men who were in the shed that night and asking anyone who was too afraid to talk in the past to come forward now.

Paul Quinn, a 21-year-old from Cullyhanna in south Armagh, was beaten to death on Saturday 20 October 2007. Today, Tuesday 20 October 2026, marks 19 years since the killing.

What happened at Tullyvanus

According to the Garda account carried by RTÉ, LMFM and the Irish Times, Paul and a friend travelled by car at around 6pm that evening to outbuildings and sheds at Tullyvanus, Castleblayney. RTÉ reports that he had been lured there.

When they arrived, the two men were set upon by a gang of between eight and ten masked men, some of them armed. Both were tied up, and Paul was then subjected to what gardaí describe as a "violent and sustained attack".

The gang is believed to have left in a white van. That van has never been found, and gardaí say they are still looking for any information that could help identify or locate it.

23 arrests, no charges

Over the course of the investigation, 23 people have been arrested: 14 by An Garda Síochána in this jurisdiction and nine by the PSNI in the North. Nobody has ever been charged, the Irish Times reports.

The investigation is run by gardaí in Castleblayney, working with the PSNI on both sides of the Monaghan–Armagh border. RTÉ reports that Detective Superintendent Ronan Carey said new and valuable lines of inquiry had come out of an earlier appeal two years ago, and that he anticipates "further arrests will be made".

"Now is the time to come forward"

Det Supt Carey thanked the local community for its help so far and said it held the information needed to move the case on. "I am particularly appealing to the people in the Cullyhanna area of South Armagh," he said.

"I am appealing to those men who were in the shed and also to friends or family members of these men who know what happened on the 20th of October 2007 and who, since that time, continue to carry the burden of knowing what happened to Paul on their conscience."

He said time had passed and relationships may have changed. "I appeal to anyone who was afraid to talk to us over the last 19 years to now come forward. Maybe there was a reason you were afraid, but now is the time to come forward and tell us what you know in confidence."

He asked people to call in to Castleblayney Garda Station, or to speak to any garda or PSNI officer they know, who will pass it on to the investigation team. Anyone who can't do that can use the confidential lines anonymously, he said, to help "bring closure" to Paul's parents, Breege and Stephen Quinn, who "continue to suffer the terrible loss of their son Paul".

The family's campaign

Gardaí describe solving the murder as an "utmost priority" and say any information will be treated in absolute confidence. The Quinn family are kept updated on developments.

The family have campaigned for justice for close on two decades. As the Irish Times notes, they believe members of the IRA were responsible, while Sinn Féin has long denied any republican involvement in the killing.

How to contact gardaí