Gardaí believe that a man beaten to death in Co Monaghan at the weekend was attacked because he had recently been involved in altercations with a known republican in south Armagh and the son of another republican figure from the area, write Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent, and Dan Keenanin Co Monaghan.
The victim's family last night said they believed the "Provisional movement" was behind their son's murder.
Paul Quinn (21), Cullyhanna, south Armagh, was beaten to death by a gang of men at a remote farm in Tullycoora, near Oram village, just south of the Border.
Two other men injured in the same attack have since been discharged from hospital.
Mr Quinn's family last night released a short statement saying he had recently been involved in an altercation with "individual members of the IRA".
"Our son courageously and correctly refused to leave. We believe he was abducted by the Provisional movement and brutally beaten to death."
While the victim was conscious and lucid when the punishment beating stopped, his condition deteriorated rapidly and he died at around 8pm on Saturday.
The incident began on Saturday afternoon when two men, aged 21 and 25, from Cullyhanna, were carrying out work at the farm in Oram. They were approached by the gang who beat them and tied them up in a shed on the farm. The men were forced by the gang to contact Mr Quinn, who was a friend of theirs, by mobile phone and persuade him to meet them at the farm.
When Mr Quinn arrived at the farm he was confronted by masked men carrying pickaxe handles, iron bars and bats. He was beaten in what sources called a "savage attack".
After the gang left, Mr Quinn's two friends rang for an ambulance. They drove themselves for treatment to Daisyhill Hospital, Newry, Co Down, while Mr Quinn was taken by ambulance at about 6pm to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co Louth. He died at the hospital at about 8pm.
While a postmortem examination was not due to be completed until this morning, The Irish Timesunderstands the victim suffered broken arms, legs and extensive bleeding and bruising. The two men, who are recovering from their injuries, were interviewed by gardaí yesterday evening.
Cavan-Monaghan Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin condemned the attack, saying he was "deeply shocked" at the "brutality" of the killing.
"Whatever circumstances are behind the attack there can be no justification for this type of violence. I strongly condemn the attack which took place in my own constituency and urge that anyone with information relating to the murder go to the gardaí immediately," he said.