The full report may be read here.
THE Government last night backed a report which found successive British governments knew of widespread collusion between its security forces and loyalists.
An Oireachtas subcommittee said a series of atrocities by loyalist paramilitaries in the mid-1970s were acts of international terrorism.
The committee’s conclusions in relation to successive British governments are its gravest. It refers to a meeting in 1975 attended by Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher, later prime minister. ... Read more
THE Justice for the Forgotten campaign group last night described the report as incredibly significant but queried why the committee had stopped short of recommending a public inquiry.
Margaret Urwin, secretary of the campaign group, said yesterday’s report had left no ambiguities in detailing the extent of collusion between loyalist groups and Britain.
While recognising that the decision to refer the matter to the Dáil for debate might better ensure the co-operation of the British Government, Ms Urwin was critical of the committee for not taking the opportunity to make more recommendations within the report. ... Read more
KAY’S TAVERN IN DUNDALK
On December 19, 1975, a car bomb exploded outside Kay’s Tavern in Dundalk killing two people, Hugh Watters, 60, and Jack Rooney, 62. Nobody was every charged. Judge Barron concluded that the bombing was carried out by Loyalist extremists, probably from the Mid Ulster UVF.
He found the security forces in the North knew or should have known but that it was impossible to prove or disprove allegations of collusion. ... Read more
UK Cabinet 'knew army infiltrated by loyalist terrorists'
THE British security forces were accused last night of widespread collusion with loyalist terrorists to "butcher" people both sides of the Border in the 1970s.
The Government immediately stepped up the pressure on the British government to increase the level of co-operation provided so far in investigating the atrocities.
An Oireachtas committee report published last night deals in all with nine atrocities on both sides of the border between 1974 and 1976 in which 18 people were killed and it calls the acts "international terrorism". ... Read more
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said it is 'absolutely essential' that the British Government examine the findings of reports into collusion, and that it fully co-operates with all investigations into the serious issues that have arisen.
In a statement issued after the publication of an Oireachtas Committee report, he said its findings regarding collusion were 'deeply troubling and a matter of most serious concern', and painted 'a very disturbing picture'. ... Read more
COLLUSION between loyalist paramilitary and British security forces will be revealed today in a report into a Dundalk bombing 30 years ago.
The evidence is detailed in a report of the Independent Commission into the bombing of Kay's Tavern, Dundalk. The level of collusion uncovered was described last night by Green Party leader Trevor Sargent as "deeply disturbing" as he supported the calls by victims' relatives for a public inquiry.
The report is part of an overall investigation by Mr Justice Henry Barron which deals with nine atrocities on both sides of the border between 1974 and 1976 in which 18 people were killed. These include three bombings in the Republic - in Dundalk, Castleblayney and Dublin Airport. ... Read more
Pressure is mounting on the Government to hold a public inquiry into the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings and a string of other loyalist attacks in the Republic, as a second report into British collusion with loyalists is due to be published.
An Oireachtas committee report into three separate bomb attacks in Dublin along with Dundalk, Co Louth and Castleblayney, Co Monaghan found evidence of collusion in all three attacks, which killed five people.
The attacks took place between 1975 and 1976.
The report, which will be published on Wednesday, is understood to have uncovered what one source close to the investigation described as “disturbing evidence of collusion”. ... Read more
