By John Harrington

Delegates at GAA Congress 2019 have called for the Crowley Report into the killing of Aidan McAnespie to be released to his family.

The 23-year-old was shot dead after passing through a military checkpoint at the border in Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone as he made his way to Aghaloo GAA grounds on February 21, 1988.

After Mr McAnespie’s death the Irish government appointed the then Garda deputy commissioner Eugene Crowley to carry out an inquiry.

The findings were presented to justice minister Gerry Collins in April 1988 but have never been made public or released to the McAnespie family.

Tyrone County Board Chairman, Michael Kerr, addressed this sensitive issue at GAA Congress today.

He said: “On behalf of Tyrone GAA, I wish to commend Páraic Duffy on his stewardship of our Association. Shortly before he vacated office he called on the Irish Government for the release of the Crowley Report into the killing of Aidan McAnespie in Aughnacloy in 1988.

“I am aware that the McAnespie family appreciated Páraic’s support and that of the GAA community in Tyrone and across the country.

“Yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the shooting of this member of our Association as he made his way to play a football match for his club, Aghaloo O’Neills, against Killeeshil.

“The Irish Government at the time saw fit to have the shooting investigated by Garda Deputy Commissioner Eugene Crowley. His report was submitted within 7 weeks to the then Justice Minister.

“31 years, generally considered a generation, has passed. It is time to release the Report.

“I endorse Páraic’s request for the report to be released and, while disappointed with the initial response made to the request, I encourage the Irish Government to explore all available editorial mechanisms which will facilitate the early release of the fullest version of the Crowley Report.

“I ask that this forum as the highest within our Association, supports the call to allow the McAnespie family access to the truth about the death of their son and brother and a fellow member of our Association.”

After Kerr spoke, GAA President, John Horan, then asked Congress for a show of hands as to whether Congress supported his call for the report to be released to the McAnespie family. There was unanimous agreement that it should.

“I’m delighted for the family and Aghaloo club and our own county,” said Kerr afterwards.

“31 years has passed. Aidan would have been the same age as myself and I know all his family and his cousins and they’ll be delighted that they have at last seen our organisation support them fully in their request to have the report released.

“It’s an ongoing matter and it’s time it was resolved. I wish them all the best and hopefully this can be resolved in the next couple of months. I wish the McAnespie family all the best.”

The first 17 motions of GAA Congress were also voted on today and all of them passed. You can read through a full recap of Day 1 of GAA Congress 2019 as it happened here.