Taoiseach Michael Martin and IRA-Garda collusion question: Kingsmills massacre survivor urges IRA victim to exercise caution in getting hopes up

On Monday Irish premier Michael Martin pledged to respond to concerns about the murder of Ian Sproule in Castlederg in 1991. In a bid to justify the shooting the IRA later produced a Garda intelligence file to the media which claimed he was a loyalist paramilitary - something his family firmly rejects.

Speaking after the meeting the Taoiseach in Dublin on Monday, Ian Sproule’s brother, John, said: “The Taoiseach listened to what I had to say and appeared to show a genuine connection with the issues I raised. He committed to take away what was discussed and to come back to me with advices on how matters might be progressed.” In a statement, a spokesperson said the Taoiseach “listened carefully to John’s presentation and said he would revert to him on the concerns raised”.

However Alan Black, who was shot 16 times by the IRA during the Kingsmills Massacre in south Armagh in 1976, had a warning for Mr Sproule. “I would caution the Sproule family against getting their hopes built up because it has been my experience that their actions don’t live up to their words,” Mr Black said. In 2015 then Taoisech Enda Kenny met the Kingsmills Families in Bessbrook and promised to release all southern files on Kingsmills to the Belfast legacy inquest.

The attack was planned from the south; the killers fled there afterwards; the top three suspects were all jailed there for terrorism; two vehicles used were dumped in the south and four weapons used were recovered there.

Mr Black said: “Enda Kenny promised us that everything they had - we would get it. Everything.” But he added: “A politician’s promise is not worth the paper it is not written on. All that has come up from the south to the inquest has been newspaper clippings.” 

He said Irish government promises of a court hearing in the republic where an Irish High Court judge would question a Garda witness about Kingsmills were of no value as the families’ lawyers would not be present to cross examine anyone. 

In May Mr Black was one of a string of victims left “astounded” by the Taoiseach’s claim that his government has met all requests for transparency regarding Troubles atrocities. 

After Alan’s persistent public criticism of Enda Kenny and the Garda, a man with contacts at the highest level of the Irish government called at Mr Black’s Bessbrook home in 2017 and offered him a private meeting with senior Garda. However he rejected the offer out of concern the meeting would be used to claim the Garda were “bending over backwards to help, when in reality they are not”.

The Taoiseach and Irish Department of Foreign Affairs were both invited to comment.