As you read of the outrageous release of Pan Am 103 bomber Abdel Al Al-Megrani who masterminded the killing of 259 innocent people on December 21 1988 over Lockerbie, Scotland spare a thought for the Irish victims of that crash.

John Mulroy, 59, director of international communications for The Associated Press, and five members of his family, were among the dead.

He was traveling with his son, Sean, 25, and Sean's wife, Ingrid, who were residents of Sweden; Mr. Mulroy's sister, Bridget Concannon, her husband, Thomas, and their son, Sean, who lived in a London suburb. All bar Ingrid were Irish citizens.

Mr. Mulroy, who joined the wire service in 1984 after 25 years with Pan Am, where he had been director of communications, was survived by his wife, Josephine, of East Northport, L.I., a daughter, Siobhan, and a son, Brendan.

Names on a page but an entire family destroyed by a callous murderer who will see freedom before his death.

They claim he has prostate cancer but he will be in Libya shortly and a national hero by all accounts. The newly rehabiitated popinjay Momar Ghadafi will see to that

The networks reported this morning that there is some kind of oil deal in the offing for Britain if they acceded to the request.If so it is a disgraceful trade off --justice for greed.

So think of the Concannons and the Mulroys and the day their lives were ended, the families that were torn apart and the horrific death they suffered when you see Ghadafi and company celebrating in Libya.

What the Scottish government has done is disgraceful. Al-Megrani was tried and convicted and should have spent the rest of his life in prison. Now he is free.

Unfortunately for the Mulroys and Concannons there is no such respite. I don't know where John's wife and son and daughter are today but I'm sure this is a very tough time indeed. May their relatives rest in peace.