The government of Ireland formally apologized on Wednesday to the family of Brian Stack, a high-ranking prison officer whose death went unsolved for decades. Stack, who held the rank of chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison, was shot and left paralyzed in 1983 while crossing a street in Dublin after attending a boxing match. He died 18 months later at age 49. The killing was attributed to the Provisional IRA, though no one has ever been prosecuted in connection with the case.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin delivered the state apology during a sitting of the Dáil, with Stack’s widow Sheila and their three sons present in the chamber. Martin outlined numerous investigative failures identified in a 2007 review by the Garda Serious Crime Review Team, which had examined the case at the direction of the Garda Commissioner. The review identified 194 errors and omissions in the original police investigation, including failures to preserve evidence such as crime scene mapping, a motorcycle helmet discovered near the scene, fingerprints, and other material exhibits. Investigators also failed to document whether prison colleagues and inmates were interviewed, and did not speak with the Stack family or their broader circle of friends.
Martin formally acknowledged these shortcomings as “plainly and utterly unacceptable” and apologized for their impact on the investigation’s effectiveness. The Stack family had previously requested access to the serious crime review report but were told it constituted an internal document that could not be released. Following the parliamentary proceedings, the family met privately with Martin and Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan at government buildings.
Sinn Féin, which has political ties to the IRA, issued a statement acknowledging that Brian Stack’s killing was wrong and expressing sorrow for the family’s loss. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald was unable to attend the Dáil proceedings due to a scheduled police interview in Belfast. The statement noted that the IRA had made acknowledgments of responsibility more than a decade ago. Stack’s son Austin expressed that the state apology provided comfort and vindication for his father’s memory and service record, noting that Stack had received the Irish Prison Service’s highest bravery award.
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