Missing man's father 'blames IRA'

Gareth O'Connor has been missing since May

The father of an Armagh man who has been missing since May has dismissed IRA claims that it was not involved in his disappearance.

Gareth O'Connor, 24, from Armagh city, has not been seen since 11 May, when he failed to report to Dundalk police station in the Irish Republic as part of his bail conditions.

Mr O'Connor had been charged with membership of the Real IRA.

He has not been found, despite searches on both sides of the border.

The IRA said in a statement released on Sunday: "We were not involved in the recent disappearance of Gareth O'Connor from Armagh.

"Anyone with information about this case should make that information available to the O'Connor family."

Mr O'Connor's father Mark said on Monday that his son had been involved in a financial dispute with the IRA before his disappearance.

Mark O'Connor: Son 'confronted IRA'

"My son confronted these people to look for his money back, so they issued a threat and they carried out the threat," he said.

"I have absolutely no doubt about that - that is fact.

"There's nothing that happens in south Armagh that the IRA don't know about - absolutely nothing."

Sinn Fein said they would not be making any comment on the IRA statement on Monday.

Monsignor Denis Faul said the IRA's statement "defied belief".

"The police did bring a death threat to the O'Connor household a few days before he headed off for Dundalk," he said.

"The district he was lifted in was probably south Armagh, north Louth or south Monaghan which would be very much controlled by the IRA.

"It would take about 10 or 20 men to perform an operation like that - it would be incredible that could happen in an IRA district without the IRA noticing."