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05/04/2007
Report into bombings reveals ‘no collusion’
A report into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings has been published and has revealed there is no evidence of collusion regarding the winding down of the Garda investigation.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern published the 249-page MacEntee Commission’s report, which was drawn up by its sole member, Barrister Patrick MacEntee SC.
A total of 33 people were killed in the attacks and 300 were injured when four car bombs exploded in Dublin and Monaghan. It was the biggest loss of life on a single day in the Troubles.
The UVF were suspected of carrying out the attacks. However, no organisation claimed responsibility and there were no convictions.
Evidence was lost and files went missing after the atrocity. Mr MacEntee’s report uncovered a catalogue of failures by the Gardai and the Justice Department.
He said it wasn’t possible to fully account for how many files were missing, lost or destroyed from the original investigation.
While he could not confirm why the evidence went missing, he didn’t rule out unauthorised removal of the documents.
“The failure to account for security and intelligence material is a serious failure, which could have very grave consequences for individuals mentioned or implicated in such material,” he said.
“The commission is satisfied that there is no evidence available to it which is capable of establishing any connection between the collusion alleged and the ‘winding down’ of the Garda investigations into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.”
(JM/KMcA)
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern published the 249-page MacEntee Commission’s report, which was drawn up by its sole member, Barrister Patrick MacEntee SC.
A total of 33 people were killed in the attacks and 300 were injured when four car bombs exploded in Dublin and Monaghan. It was the biggest loss of life on a single day in the Troubles.
The UVF were suspected of carrying out the attacks. However, no organisation claimed responsibility and there were no convictions.
Evidence was lost and files went missing after the atrocity. Mr MacEntee’s report uncovered a catalogue of failures by the Gardai and the Justice Department.
He said it wasn’t possible to fully account for how many files were missing, lost or destroyed from the original investigation.
While he could not confirm why the evidence went missing, he didn’t rule out unauthorised removal of the documents.
“The failure to account for security and intelligence material is a serious failure, which could have very grave consequences for individuals mentioned or implicated in such material,” he said.
“The commission is satisfied that there is no evidence available to it which is capable of establishing any connection between the collusion alleged and the ‘winding down’ of the Garda investigations into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.”
(JM/KMcA)
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