Jim Allister: In truth, the Republic of Ireland acted as a safe haven for republican terrorists

I welcome the call by South East Fermanagh Foundation (Seff) for an independent review into events surrounding the arms trial, a failed attempt to get a shipment of pistols and machine-guns to the IRA.
By Jim Allister
Published 29th May 2020, 12:00 BST
As part of the Stormont House process, the UK state is preparing to throw open its files on the Troubles so it is reasonable to expect more transparency from the Irish governmentAs part of the Stormont House process, the UK state is preparing to throw open its files on the Troubles so it is reasonable to expect more transparency from the Irish government
As part of the Stormont House process, the UK state is preparing to throw open its files on the Troubles so it is reasonable to expect more transparency from the Irish government

Senior members of the Irish cabinet, including future Taoiseach Charles Haughey, were charged with conspiracy to smuggle the arms.

Another of those charged, senior Irish army intelligence officer Captain James Kelly, claimed he was sourcing weapons with the consent of the Irish government and while the Dublin administration claimed they knew nothing of the plot their key witness, Colonel Michael Hefferon, told the trial that not only was Captain Kelly acting under orders but he was briefing the Irish defence minister.

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The accused men were acquitted, the jury clearly believing that the plot was sanctioned by the government.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

While there were resignations and sackings much of the affair remains shrouded in mystery and is therefore worthy of full investigation.

There has never been an independent trawl of Irish government papers relating to the incident. At a time when the UK state is preparing to throw open its files on the Troubles as part of the Stormont House process it is reasonable to expect more transparency from the Irish government.

While Dublin has been keen to call for openness from the UK there has been a telling reluctance to face up to their own role in republican terrorism.

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• Morning View: Stormont House failed to find way to examine Irish state facilitation of terror

Openness in relation to the arms trail affair would be a welcome step in the right direction. But that would open an embarrassing can of worms for nationalist Ireland.

There are multiple examples of Irish police mysteriously losing evidence, like that relating to the IRA murder of electrical contractor Terence McKeever, and passing information to the IRA like the inaccurate Garda file which was used to justify the the murder of Ian Sproule.

Similarly, the alleged role of an IRA mole within the Garda which resulted in the blowing up of the Hanna family as they returned from a holiday to Disney World in a car the IRA said they believed contained a judge and excused as a case of bad intelligence has never been investigated properly.

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There is also the troubling issue of extradition. Between 1973 and 1997 at least 110 requests were made by the UK for extraditions from the Republic. Of those 110, 8 were extradited, a success rate of just 7%.

In truth, the Republic acted as a safe haven for republican terrorists. Once they were across the border they knew they were free and there was little prospect of facing justice.

That is a shameful history which has been overlooked and ignored for much too long.

Unless it is faced up to and Dublin is forced to open its files we will never know the truth of the role successive Irish governments played in supporting and facilitating the republican terror campaign.

Jim Allister QC, TUV MLA

• Morning View: Stormont House failed to find way to examine Irish state facilitation of terror

Related topics:IRARepublic of IrelandJim Allister