Dublin-Monaghan bomb and Kingsmills Massacre survivors reject ex-Irish Justice Minister’s claims of Irish state transparency

Edward O’Neill survived the UVF Dublin Monaghan Bombing in 1974 which killed 33 people - including his father - and an unborn child, while Alan Black survived the IRA Kingsmills Massacre in 1976 in which ten of his work colleagues were killed.

Both men were speaking to the News Letter after Mr Flanagan, a former Irish Justice Minister and former Irish Foriegn Minister, gave a strong defence of the Irish government’s transparency on legacy investigations.

Mr Flanagan was speaking to the News Letter after the annual church service for victims group the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), held in Clones, Co Monaghan on Sunday.

Speaking at the service, SEFF Director of Services Kenny Donaldson said: “There is a need for the [Irish] state to be proactive around legacy issues. Quality proofing what the UK government does and doesn’t do is not a sustainable policy. This state needs to do more.”

Speaking to the News Letter afterwards, Mr Flanagan affirmed Mr Donaldson’s observations. He noted that he was Minister for Foreign Affairs during the Stormont House Agreement negotiations in 2014 and said that at that time he “acknowledged the fact that the Irish government will not be found wanting in terms of its own responsibilities... I still hold that view.”

He added that he was was struck by the presence of victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings at the church service and that the “circumstances and the unfolding of the truth in Dublin Monaghan is still an ongoing piece of work”.

The News Letter put it to him that in the view of those families there has been no progress in seeing government files on the atrocity.

Mr Flanagan responded: “There were a number of independent judicial-led inquiries on Dublin Monaghan and if there are aspects of that that are being looked at by other agencies, well then the Irish government will ensure that they would play their part.”

But survivor Mr O’Neill was not happy with the response. “We have had successive [Irish] governments tell us they hear us but nothing in the way of action is happening” he said. “Nothing. We know we are an embarrassment to them.”

The News Letter then asked Mr Flanagan for his comment on the Irish government’s track record on the Kingsmills Massacre.

In 2015 the Irish Taoiseach promised the Kingsmills families that all Irish files would be opened to the legacy inquest on the matter, however the families say that Dublin has shared almost nothing except newspaper clippings since then. A court hearing was held in Dublin recently where victims’ questions were put to Garda, however neither the families they nor their lawyers were invited.

Mr Flanagan responded that he introduced a change in legislation to allow retired Garda to give evidence to the hearing, which he said was “an ongoing programme of work”.

“And again I would hope that Mr Alan Black and his colleagues in Kingsmills will ultimately receive satisfaction in terms of what the Gardai are doing on the matter of the files,” he said.

However Mr Black described his answers as “double talk”. He added: “He is talking out of both sides of his mouth just like a lot of politicians do. They dance on the head of a pin. It means nothing at the end of day.”

He affirmed that Irish authorities had handed over almost nothing to the inquest but newspaper clippings and said he had little faith in the redacted transcript they were awaiting from the Dublin court hearing.

Meanwhile, speaking to the News Letter on Monday, Kenny Donaldson said: “We have met DFA officials probably five times or so over the past couple of years and whilst they are pleasant enough exchanges, we have not seen much come forward from the Irish Government in tangible actions to address our concerns.”

He added;-

1. The Remembrance Commission has not been reopened.

2. Victims and survivors living within that jurisdiction are still marginalised in terms of access to services and reparations.

3. No focused legacy unit has been established within An Garda Siochana.

4. Limited response has flowed from the Irish State in respect of answers concerning borderland cases, a stonewalling policy continues to persist.

5. The Irish Department of Justice is particularly challenging to get an inner [meeting] with.

Mr Donaldson confirms they did meet the Taoiseach about six weeks ago regarding the IRA murder of Castlederg man Ian Sproule in 1991, in which Garda collusion is suspected. He is expecting a response soon.

SEFF and DUP MLA Diane Dodds have been lobbying the Garda Ombudsman and the Irish government for some years for transparency on the case with no progress.

The News Letter invited the Irish Department of Foriegn Affairs to respond to Mr Donaldson, however no response has been offered.

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