Justice for my Father – a new book published by Portlaoise man Austin Stack on his lifelong quest to seek justice for his father’s murder at the hands of the IRA – is in shops now.
And among those that the author met last week was President Michael D Higgins at an event in the Arás to remember innocent victims of the troubles.
Austin also had a Northern Ireland launch of the book on Monday to coincide with an event in the Northern Ireland Assembly to mark European Victims of Terrorism Day.
An off-duty prison officer, Brian Stack was shot by the IRA on a Dublin in 1983.
Over 40 years later, no one has been convicted of his murder. In this book, his son outlines why justice must be done.
Stack was the chief prison officer working on the IRA wing of Portlaoise Prison in 1983. He was also a fan of amateur boxing, and had travelled to see a match in Dublin in March of that year.
After the match, he was shot outside the venue by an IRA gunman, leaving him paralysed and brain damaged.
Brian survived the attack but succumbed to his injuries within 18 months, leaving a wife and three young sons.
Austin Stack was 14 when his father passed away, but he has never forgotten him nor has he ever given up hope of bringing his
murderers to justice.
Over the years, he has held secret talks with Gerry Adams and
members of the IRA, but to date no one has been convicted of the crime.
This book is an account of a son’s ongoing quest for justice, and his determination to set the record straight.
Austin went on to work in the Irish prison service also and is now an advocate for restorative justice with a passionate interest in social justice and social policy issues. He ran unsuccessfully in the recent General Election as a candidate for Fianna Fáil.
He is also a campaigner for a post-conflict commission in Ireland and a regular commentator on Irish media. He lives in Portlaoise with his family.
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