Sean Dalton remembered as ‘caring, loving father and grandfather’ on 35th anniversary of Good Samaritan bomb

Members of the Dalton family gathered in the Museum of Free Derry to pay tribute to Sean, who was aged 54, when he was killed alongside his 68-year-old neighbour Sheila Lewis when they triggered an IRA booby-trap bomb on August 31, 1988.

Gerry Curran, aged 57, died later from the injuries he sustained in the explosion.

The three ‘Good Samaritans’ were remembered during a poignant family event in the museum in the Bogside where a new booklet ‘The Good Samaritan: Sean Dalton – A Journey for Truth’ was launched by the Pat Finucane Centre.

In a statement the Dalton family noted that while Sean is listed as the ‘2984 person killed due to the violent conflict’ he ‘was not a statistic’.

"He was a caring, loving father and grandfather. He was a devoted husband. He was funny. He was kind. He cared about his neighbours and his community.

“This publication helps us to remember him for who he was - and allows others to learn about what an amazing person Sean Dalton was. It also allows us to share the devastating impact of his death on his family and our long road for answers,” they said.

The Daltons continue to press for a fresh inquest with full compellability in order to find out the truth about what happened to Sean.

They want to know why an explosive device was allowed to remain in a built-up residential area for several days prior to his death. The family are also convinced an informer was involved in the episode.

“My family have always stated that those who planted the bomb, the IRA, were responsible for these deaths. However, the authorities who had a duty to protect the public were equally culpable.

“The desire of the State to protect an agent was put above the right to life of those who lost their lives in the explosion. My family continue to be denied information relating to the circumstances of our father’s death,” they said.

The family slammed the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill which is proceeding through the British Houses of Parliament and is expected to become law this month.

Amendments to the ‘legacy bill’ will be considered in the British House of Lords on Tuesday.

If it is passed it all legacy inquests not finished and awaiting a verdict by May 1, 2024 will cease.

"When it is inevitably passed, it will protect all those responsible for this atrocity - those who planted the bomb, and those public servants who did nothing to stop it from exploding.

“The Bill will protect the state, not the victims.

“However, we remain steadfast and determined to continue to fight for a proper investigation into our father’s murder, and will take our case to the European Court of Human Rights,” the family stated.

Sean Dalton's daughter Phyllis: 'The British State, as in many other cases, are trying to protect themselves...'