Parents: Unionists Knew IRA Had Killed Our Son

Walking by an isolated barn where his son was beaten to death eight years ago, Stephen Quinn has no doubt who was responsible.

"I believe the IRA did this,” Mr Quinn told Sky News.

Paul Quinn, 21, from Cullyhanna in South Armagh, was lured to his lonely death in 2007. He was believed to have been murdered by the IRA.

His parents say Sinn Fein has lost its right to sit in Northern Ireland’s devolved government.

They can't understand why it has taken eight years and another murder for Unionist parties to consider pulling out of power-sharing at Stormont.

Paul Quinn's mother, Breege Quinn, said: "I don't know why they're coming out now in 2015 when they didn’t come out in 2007, when Paul was murdered."

Paul Quinn grew up in a republican stronghold but fell foul of IRA members who were engaged in petty disputes.

He was lured to an isolated farm shed just over the Irish border and brutally murdered.

His mother cried as she recalled his death.

"They were dressed in boiler suits, they had balaclavas on them, they had their gloves on them, they had their iron bars, they had their sticks with nails in them and they just laid into poor Paul," Mrs Quinn said, her voice breaking.

"I believe he shouted for them to stop at the beginning but he was beaten that much that they silenced him."

Paul Quinn's father, Stephen Quinn, said: "I near enough know who did it."

"They don’t like anyone standing up to them so this is what they done. They beat him to death, a crowd of cowardly so-and-sos," he added, speaking of the IRA.

Paul Quinn's parents have always believed that the IRA killed him. At the time, police on both sides of the Irish border agreed, as did the governments' international monitoring body.

But few questioned Sinn Fein's participation in the devolved government until police claimed the IRA had been involved in the fatal shooting of Kevin McGuigan in Belfast two weeks ago.

The father-of-nine, a former IRA member, was targeted in apparent retaliation for the murder of former IRA Commander, Gerard "Jock" Davison last May.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s Executive voted on Saturday to back the party leader's proposal to withdraw from the ruling coalition.

The larger Democratic Unionist Party has threatened to follow suit, effectively collapsing the devolved government, unless Sinn Fein is sanctioned.

First Minister Peter Robinson has requested an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister.