Pat Finucane Public Inquiry 2024
I, Vincent McKenna, being 18 years and upward, make Oath and say as follows.
In June, 1980, I left my
family home in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, and moved to Monaghan Town, where I
knew my cousin, Kevin McKenna (1977-1983 PIRA OC East Tyrone/PIRA Chief of
Staff, 1983-1997).
I was in June, 1980, recruited
as a Garda Agent to infiltrate Sinn Fein/PIRA. I had volunteered for this
position and was recruited by Garda Detective, Christy McNamee.
My motivation for becoming a State-Agent was the murder of my favourite paternal Uncle, Cyril McCaul by PIRA in November, 1973. My determination to defeat the terrorists would be copper-fastened when I witnessed the murder of Michael Cassidy at my cousin Leo McKenna’s wedding in 1979. Michael was murdered by Jim Lynagh, Laurence McNally and Aidan McGurk.
I made it clear to An Garda Siochana from the outset in 1980, that I
would not take money or favor from them, and this 44-years later remains my
position.
In June, 1980, I was living
alone in a bedsit in Monaghan Town, I was working in Monaghan Poultry Products
and being paid ‘child’s wages.
I was sworn into The Provisional IRA by Kevin McKenna, I can be seen in the picture below carrying a symbolic coffin (front left) in Monaghan Town, to commemorate the death of PIRA member, Kieran Doherty TD, on Hunger-strike in 1981.
NOTE: We are marching in step to commands being shouted in Irish (Gaelic), I was not taught Irish in school in Northern Ireland, I learned the Irish Commands while a member of Na Fianna Eireann (Jnr PIRA) 1980. In June, 1981, I had marched at Bodenstown in the uniform of Na Fianna Eireann, however, by August, 1981, I was working on Internal-Security with JB O’Hagan. The PIRA member, front-left, in uniform, was dismissed from PIRA due to my evidence against him to PIRA Command Staff.
I was sworn into Sinn
Fein/PIRA by Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin at a meeting attended by JB O’Hagan (PIRA
Army Council), Kieran Starrs (OTR from Armagh – his brother Aidan shot dead by
PIRA, Freddie Scappitticci, in 1992), and also attended by Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin’s
first-cousin, Pádraigín Uí Mhurchadha (Female), sister of Fergal O'
Hanlon, shot dead by RUC 1957.
Following the murders of 86-year-old, Norman Stronge and his son James at Tynan Abbey in January, 1981, by Jim Lynagh and his murder-squad, I felt that I
was not doing enough to stop terrorist activity. My Garda contact, Garda
Detective, Christy McNamee was very happy with my work.
I decided that I needed to do something to get close to Jim Lynagh. In 1981, I carried out two arson attacks in Aughnacloy in the hope that this would make me a more attractive proposition for Lynagh’s gang. When my Garda contact found out that I had carried out the two arson attacks he was furious, and said if I done anything like it again, he would walk away.
However, Lynagh was very impressed that I had gone into
Aughnacloy, carried out two attacks and managed to return safely to Monaghan.
Lynagh brought me into his confidence as an Intelligence Officer.
In June, 1981, I was first arrested by the RUC in relation to the arson attacks, I was released without charge or condition. In November, 1981, I was arrested for a second time in relation to the arson attacks, this time I was charged with the arson attacks and endangering the lives of three RUC officers and a civilian who worked in the British Army base.
However, I had made it clear at all times that my
intention was never to endanger anyone. I did not have access to a solicitor
during interrogation, I was 17-years-old and the RUC simply done as they
pleased.
I was charged in November,
1981 and remanded to The Provisional IRA A-Wing, Crumlin Road Jail, where I
joined fellow Sinn Fein/PIRA members from Monaghan Town, Owen Smyth and Seamus
McElwaine. Owen Smyth befriended me in Crumlin Road Jail, and told me about his
role in the murders of Norman Stronge and his son James. The murder of Senator
Billy Fox in Monaghan and so forth.
A prisoner may only be held on The Provisional IRA A-Wing, if, The PIRA Command Staff are satisfied that a prisoner is in fact a Provisional IRA member.
Shortly after my 18th
Birthday, I was released on bail, in the face of strong opposition from the RUC
who said I was Provisional IRA (although I had never admitted such a thing). What
I did not know was that while Owen Smyth was denying that he had talked to the
RUC when arrested, he had in fact turned Informer.
The Judge was of the view that
while I had just turned 18-years-old, I was still in his eyes a child, and he
was concerned about young prisoners being in prison with older men, whom it was
known were physically and sexually abusing younger prisoners. Sean McKenna
makes reference to this type of abuse of younger prisoners by older PIRA
prisoners in the 1970s in his tapes.
When I returned to Monaghan Town, I was debriefed by the PIRA and I was told not to answer my bail. In 1982, the RUC issued extradition proceedings against me. I was brought to St Patrick’s Hall in Park Street, where the District Court was sitting as Jim Lynagh had burned down the actual Court House in Church Square.
The RUC
Officer, who appeared at Monaghan District Court, Det Sgt Winston Hall, Omagh,
to serve the extradition warrant, gave a different name than was on the warrant
and he would have to return to Monaghan District Court on a different date.
JJ (OTR from Ardboe, Tyrone –
murdered RUC Officers, 1970s), PIRA gunman, told me in no uncertain terms that
I was to tell the PIRA as soon as I knew that Det Sgt Winston Hall would be
returning to Monaghan Town for my extradition. In consultation with my Garda
contact, Garda Det Christy McNamee, it was decided that I would not tell the
PIRA, I would have to wing it. I understood that An Garda Siochana could not
react to everything or my cover would be quickly blown.
I was given two-weeks’ notice relating to my next appearance at Monaghan District Court, however, I did not inform the PIRA. At lunch-time on the day I appeared for a second time at the District Court. I was confronted by PIRA members outside the Court House and asked why I had not informed them about the appearance of Det Sgt Winston Hall, I told them that I did not know about the appearance until my arrest that morning, this was not true.
The PIRA sent two females (Bernie and Antonio) into
the Court to see if there was still an opportunity to murder Det Sgt Winston
Hall, however, Gardai detained the two females, until Det Sgt Winston Hall had
left the building.
I was later, 1984, extradited
from The High Court, as was Seamus Shannon and Dominic McGlinchey. As I was
leaving The High Court, a representative from Northern Ireland, offered me a
deal, if I would withdraw my Appeal to The Supreme Court.
The deal was simple, the
endangering life charges, which were bogus anyway, would be dropped and I would
only face arson charges, the RUC would release a statement saying I had been
arrested when caught across the border. However, I told the NI representative
that I was answerable to The PIRA Army Council. The NI representative said he
would give me a couple of days to talk to the PIRA and see what their view was.
I went with Caoimhghín Ó
Caoláin to Sinn Fein/PIRA HQ at 44 Parnell Square, Dublin and spoke with Joe
Cahill (PIRA Army Council) and Seamus McGarrigle (On the Run from Strabane)
(AKA - P O’Neill and member GHQ Staff). They both said that I could NOT take
the deal as it could interfere with the extradition of Dominic McGlinchey.
When I returned to Monaghan Town, I explained to the Provisional IRA OC, Edward ‘Ned’ Hamill, what Joe Cahill and Seamus McGarrigle had said, however, Ned spoke to The PIRA Command Staff in Monaghan, and their view was that I could take the deal, but remain silent about my role in Sinn Fein/PIRA.
Edward 'Ned' Hamill, is in uniform in this picture, he is at the rear on the right-hand-side, behind Gerard Heart (PIRA OC, Ballygawley Bombing - 1988), this is Seamus McElwaine's funeral, 1986. Edward 'Ned' Hamill is referred to in, PIRA Tommy McNulty's book, 'Exiled'.
John 'Dinger' Bell, front left in uniform (poorly fitting balaclava) Jim Lynagh, PIRA OC with back to camera, hands crossed.
I handed myself over to the
RUC, believing that a deal had been done. However, Det Sgt Winston Hall,
reneged on the deal and I was charged with all of the original offences.
However, Det Sgt Winston Hall had not realised, that these deals were common,
and he was interfering with a system that was working for both Govts. The
Sunday World carried a headline, “Double-crossed”, and this was very
embarrassing for The Govts.
Others such as INLA Hugh Torney (Cue-Ball) benefited from such a deal, however, Torney claimed that he had simply been caught while visiting his wife in Belfast, this was a lie and I told him so in Crumlin Road Jail. I always believed that Torney was an informer.
While in the Provisional IRA, A-Wing, Crumlin Road Jail, 1984-85, the PIRA Chief of Staff was Joe Haughey. Joe Haughey and I got on extremely well together, probably because I was young and I knew all the right people. I was recruited onto the Escape Committee and given various tasks by Joe Haughey and Seamus Shannon.
Joe Haughey disclosed to
me that the Order to murder Judge Tom Travers was given to him personally by
Gerry Adams. However, while Joe Haughey murdered Mary Travers, I am not certain
that this was part of the original plan, I think Tom Travers was the primary
and only target.
In December, 1984, Joe Haughey told me that I would be called out on a ‘bogus/proxy visit’ by Solicitor, Pat Finucane, as Pat was the Interlocutor between the PIRA Command Staff in Belfast and the PIRA Command Staff in Crumlin Road Jail.
Pat Finucane was not my solicitor, Pat Fahy from Omagh was my solicitor. Pat Finucane and I swopped slip-on shoes under the visiting table (this was common practice for smuggling contraband - messages - explosives and so forth).
Pat had on this occasion delivered the Provisional IRA Christmas
message, written by Gerry Adams. At Christmas, while we were in the yard at
Crumlin Road Jail, we were told to fall into our Command positions, for
example, Seamus Shannon and I lined out with East Tyrone PIRA, and Joe Haughey
read out the Christmas message from the PIRA Army Council.
This was one of three ‘proxy/bogus’
visits to me in Crumlin Road Jail by Pat Finucane. It was not unusual for a
visiting solicitor to ask to see multiple remand prisoners during a single
visit, and prison staff would normally facilitate such requests.
My Barrister in The High Court
in Dublin, had not, as he had claimed, secured the deal in writing from the NI
authorities, this led to a high-profile acrimonious fallout with my Barrister,
Matt Deery, whom I refused to pay.
Matt Deery would be Judge
Matthew Deery, in 2000, in DPP v Vincent McKenna, however, I did not recognise
him (he was wearing a wig and using a different name) until it was too late.
The Court Register (Josephine Duffy) wrote to me in prison and told me that
Judge Matthew Deery had recognised me, however, it was too late.
When I appeared at Omagh Crown
Court (Omagh Court House) in January, 1985, all charges were dropped except for
setting fire to a chip-shop above which an RUC man (Brian Chambers) and his
girlfriend (Paula Douglas) often had romantic liaison. I received a suspended
sentence and £100 fine. Det Sgt Winston Hall had promised he would see me rot
in jail for 15-years, I never told him that I had prevented his murder in
Monaghan.
When released from Crumlin Road Jail, January, 1985, I reported to Charlie Caufield (PIRA OC Enniskillen Bombing 1987) as Jim Lynagh was still in jail. I continued to Manage the Sinn Fein/PIRA Advice Centre at 21 Dublin Street.
Witness
Vincent McKenna
2024
