Northern Ireland Troubles victims left ‘astounded’ by Taoiseach Micheal Martin’s claims on legacy files, including IRA-Garda collusion questions

But Mr Martin responded that that nobody has given him any specific cases to look into. He has met with representatives of families and political unionism, he said, “but no one has come back to me to be frank about it”. He claimed to have told them: “bring cases to us, give us the detail if you’re seeking for cooperation or documents or whatever from our security forces or police... and we will do everything we can to make those available.” 

However his claims were flatly rejected by Alan Black, 78, who survived being riddled with IRA bullets during the Kingsmills Massacre in South Armagh in 1976, in which ten Protestant workmen died.

He said Mr Martin’s claims were “just an echo of Enda Kenny” when as Taoiseach, he made similar promises to the Kingsmills families in Bessbrook in 2015. Promises Mr Black said have never been fulfilled.

“Enda looked all the Kingsmill’s families in the eye and he promised us faithfully that he would get us [all Irish state files] to do with Kingsmills - anything that they had - they would send it up to the coroner in Belfast.

“He laid a wreath at the wee memorial in Bessbrook and he went on his way and we were all buoyed up, then.......nothing. And when we enquired about it down the line nothing was happening.”

They were told the law would need to be changed to allow confidential Irish state files out of the republic. The law was later changed, however Mr Black described the move as “totally useless”. The result has been that the NI coroner handling the case has been invited to submit a series of questions that a high court judge in Dublin would put to a senior garda officer. But Mr Black said this will prevent the families’ lawyers or the coroner from asking critical supplementary questions.

“The Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy families would never have accepted such conditions - and nor should they,” he added. “We were promised that we would get everything but all the Irish government has given us is newspaper clippings.”

Edward O’Neill, whose father was killed in the 1974 UVF Dublin bombing was also angered by the claims. 

“To hear the comments of Michael Martin that there are no outstanding legacy cases on the Table of the Irish Government is frankly a lie and a huge surprise to me,” he said.

He was badly injured in the e loyalist bomb attack which claimed the lives of 34 people including his father and unborn sister.

“Nothing surprises me now at the complete hokum the [Irish] Government will come out with in what can be described plainly an attempt to whitewash our cases and many others out of the media and existence. Mr Martin conveniently ‘forgets’ that his own government has been deliberately obstructing Operation Kenova detectives for the last two years from access to garda files [on the bombing]. 

“They ignore the fact that the government fought my own family all the way to the Irish Supreme Court to block access to the same Garda files. Am I surprised at the latest ‘revelations’ that no legacy files are still outstanding? Not in the slightest sadly.”

He added: “I’m going into hospital shortly to have nerves severed in my spinal column to control the pain I am in; 48 years after the event I am still receiving treatment for my injuries. As for Mr Martin, the story of Pinnocchio comes to mind.”

Meanwhile Upper Bann DUP MLA Diane Dodds said she was “astounded” at the comments from the Taoiseach, and has written to him setting out her concerns. She affirmed that she had lobbied Mr Martin to release files relating to alleged IRA-Garda collusion in the murder of Ian Sproule outside his Castlederg home in 1991. The IRA justified the murder by displaying a Garda file on the victim to the media, which alleged he was involved in loyalist terrorism - something his family flatly rejects.

After several years of promises the Garda Ombudsman finally told the family it was unable to investigate the case. The findings of an internal Garda investigation into the alleged collusive elements have been withheld from the family for over 20 years.

Mrs Dodds said: “In September 2021, I wrote to the Taoiseach on behalf of the Sproule family, requesting a meeting and almost five months later I received a dismissive response from his office. The Taoiseach talks about his desire for reconciliation and need to restore trust between the communities living on this Island yet given his recent refusal, his remarks today can be construed as nothing more than a PR stunt.

“His hypocritical and inconsistent position adds only to the alienation and disappointment felt by the Sproule family, and many others who lost loved ones during the Troubles.” She added that she would be seeking a further meeting with him about the issues. 

Former First Minister Arlene Foster was equally incredulous about Mr Martin’s comments. “The truth is they have done very little to deal with victims’ concerns about collusion between the state and the IRA,” she told the News Letter. “I remember meeting with Simon Coveney and the late William Fraser and it was all tea and sympathy - it still is.”

Kenny Donaldson, spokesman for Innocent Victims United and Director of Services for South East Fermanagh Foundation, recalls bringing families to meet with the then Taoiseach Enda Kenny in 2012.

“They advised of their specific cases and the cross-border elements to these, including the inept security and extradition policies practiced by the Irish State in the 1970’s to the mid 80’s which meant that terrorist suspects were not made amenable to the northern authorities,” he said. “At that point we were promised a return visit to Fermanagh by the Taoiseach and a decade later we have yet to see a Taoiseach or senior Government Minister come, despite multiple efforts on our part for engagement.”

He said the Taoiseach needs to acquaint himself further with murders such as that of Terence McKeever in south Armagh, Ian Sproule in Castlederg, the four RUC GC Officers murdered at Killeen and “a raft” of cases within his own jurisdiction including Pte Patrick Kelly and Garda Sheehan, Garda Richard Fallon and the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. 

“We support families across these atrocities and serious questions need to be answered in respect of these cases whether in terms of; suspected collaborative actions by members of the Irish State’s security forces and/or deficient investigations carried out within the Irish State where families have been denied a thorough Article 2 compliant investigation. And of course the Kingsmill massacre”.

“The Irish Government has been tone deaf to date in failing to respond to the issues presented to them, the Smithwick Inquiry is not a good example for the Taoiseach to reference, because that report was effectively treated as a ‘doorstop’ by the Irish State. Garda Corrigan who recently passed away was cited within that report yet he was never brought in for questioning”.

Another victims groups also challenged the Irish government to publish any proposals they have to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.

Ulster Human Rights Watch said it was “a bit rich” of Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney to criticise the British government’s plan for an effective amnesty for Troubles-related crimes when the coalition in Dublin have not looked at their own shortcomings on legacy.

UHRW Advocacy Manager, Axel Schmidt said: “Dublin has failed to produce any ideas or proposals on how to deal with the post since the Stormont House Agreement.

“The Irish government cannot exclude itself from what happened in the past. “There was a safe haven for terrorists across the border.

“Attacks were mounted on security personnel - many part-time soldiers and police officers - from the Republic of Ireland.

“Is Dublin trying to forget its all role in all of this?”

The Taoiseach’s office and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs were both invited to respond. Neither offered any acknowledgement.

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