THE IRISH OBSERVER: An Garda Siochana Secret War on the Provisional IRA by Vincent McKenna

An Garda Siochana Secret War on the Provisional IRA by Vincent McKenna

An Garda Siochana

The history and evolution of An Garda Siochana can be found here: An Garda Siochana

An Garda Siochana Secret War on the Provisional IRA

An Garda Siochana have, in particular but not exclusively, since the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan Bomb attacks by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), been consistently accused of either colluding with loyalist paramilitaries and their alleged British Security Force Handlers or colluding with Sinn Fein/Provisional IRA in a range of murders along the frontier with Northern Ireland.

The report of the Commission of Inquiry (the Barron Report) into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings was published on 10 December 2003, and stated:

" -- the Government of the day showed little interest in the bombings"

Another issue touched on by the Barron Report is the role of alleged agents within the Garda Special Branch. John McCoy who was central to the Monaghan investigation is mentioned and there have been strong allegations over the years regarding his connections with the British Security Forces. It would also appear that former Garda Commissioner Ned Garvey was well aware of whatever contacts were taking place.

The Smithwick Tribunal concluded that there had been collusion between some Gardai based in Dundalk and Sinn Fein/PIRA, particularly in relation to the murders of RUC Officers, Chief Supt Harry Breen and his colleague Supt Bob Buchanan in 1989.

An Garda Siochana Collusion Fact or Fiction

There was no ‘Whole of Government’ approach to the threat from Sinn Fein/Provisional IRA in The Irish Republic, Jack Lynch did not want to see sympathy for northern nationalists in The Irish Republic translate into votes or support for Sinn Fein/Provisional IRA, as had happened in 1957 when Sinn Fein/IRA had four TDs elected.

When John McCoy and Colm Brown were tasked with the investigation of the 1974 Monaghan Bombing, both were based in the Garda Station in Monaghan Town to co-ordinate that inquiry. Those of us who know what Monaghan Town Garda Station was like at that time, know well, that it was no better than a shed, lacked resource and was certainly not fit for purpose.

It is well documented and accepted by The Sinn Fein/Provisional IRA Leadership, that I joined Sinn Fein/PIRA in Monaghan Town in 1980 when I was 16-years-old. In the picture below I am carrying a symbolic coffin, front left, in Monaghan Town 1981, to commemorate the death of Hunger-striker Kieran Doherty.

In 1980, there was from my simple observations, a crisis within An Garda Siochana, on one hand, An Garda Siochana were being told to Police Sinn Fein/PIRA as they would any other Criminal Gang, yet, The Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Jack Lynch was preventing An Garda Siochana investigating crimes such as Narrow Water in which nineteen British Soldiers were murdered by Sinn Fein/PIRA under the Command of Martin McGuinness.

Monaghan Town had a significant Sinn Fein/PIRA presence from 1969, and yet the number of Gardai to police them was small in comparison. An Garda Siochana was poorly resourced and poorly equipped. The Garda Station in Monaghan Town in 1980 was not fit for purpose and was reminiscent of something from the 1800s.

In response to this lack of resourcing and a general lack of direction and leadership, the Garda ‘Heavy Gang’ became dominant, many ‘suspects’ were badly beaten and forced to sign false confessions. This was best highlighted in the case of the Sallins Train Robbery, when innocent men admitted to a crime that they had no part in.

Delta7 was created in 1980 in Monaghan Town. Delta7 was a response to a great deal of political uncertainty in relation to the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, which had spilled over periodically into The Irish Republic and England.

Delta7 was made up of five Garda Officers, an Irish Army Officer and a recruited Garda Agent. All members operated within the law, but operated outside of political and managerial constraint when sharing information on terrorist activity with the British Security Services, this arrangement was mutually beneficial, Intel inward to The Republic was passed on to C3 at GHQ.

Delta7 was committed to ensuring that there was a smooth flow of information between those policing both sides of the Irish border, no matter what political views were held by any given Government of the day, either in London or Dublin.

While Rule 8 of the Provisional IRA Constitution forbids members of Sinn Fein/PIRA from carrying out attacks on An Garda Siochana and The Irish Army, there were numerous attacks including murder directed at An Garda Siochana and the Irish Army.

Hatred of An Garda Siochana and the Irish Army was instilled by Sinn Fein/PIRA at training camps, and cult music played by the Wolfe Tones, such as ‘Take it down from the mast Freestate Traitors’ meant that if a Sinn Fein/PIRA member had the choice of going to prison or shooting a Garda or Irish Soldier, they did not hesitate to open fire.

When Garda Detective, Jerry McCabe was murdered by Sinn Fein/PIRA in cold blood in 1996, Kevin Walsh and his gang had been warned by the Provisional IRA Army Council in the person of Martin McGuinness, not to allow themselves to be arrested, due to political sensitivities at that time.

In 1998, I was asked by several journalists if I had been aware of Collusion between members of An Garda Siochana and Sinn Fein/Provisional IRA, in order to place such collusion in context, I explained that such collusion involved small numbers of Gardai.

When I made these disclosures about my knowledge of collusion to such journalists as Toby Harden for his book Bandit Country and Barrie Penrose, I was immediately attacked by corrupt politicians in The Republic such as John O’Donoghue TD, who was Minister for Justice at that time.

Since my disclosures in 1998 about collusion, my assertions have been vindicated by the findings of both The Morris Tribunal into Garda Corruption and The Smithwick Tribunal into Garda Collusion.

The Smithwick Tribunal was established in 2005 to investigate suggestions that members of An Garda Síochána or other employees of the State colluded in the fatal shootings of RUC Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and RUC Superintendent Robert Buchanan on the 20 March, 1989. The sole member of the tribunal was His Honour Judge Peter Smithwick.

The Morris Tribunal was set up in April 2002 to investigate complaints concerning some Gardaí of the Donegal Division. The Honourable Mr. Justice Frederick Morris, a former President of the High Court, was appointed to be the sole member of the tribunal.

Across the frontier with Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein/PIRA were making vast amounts of money from smuggling and other criminality, some Gardai were bought, some were compromised and some were willing accomplices.

In Monaghan Town, there was always a core of Gardai who were relentless in their pursuit of Sinn Fein/PIRA, these Gardai often viewed through the lens of John McCoy and Colm Brown. These were tough no nonsense Gardai, and they pursued Sinn Fein/PIRA no matter what any vote seeking, terrorist appeasing politician had to say.

Some collusion has not been fully exposed, I first seen Garda Intel files in the hands of PIRA Chief of Staff, Kevin McKenna when I returned from Active Service in London in 1990. I later learned that those files had come from Garda Detective Sgt, John White, who would be subject to the Morris Tribunal, however, his collusion with Sinn Fein/PIRA was not addressed and probably was not known to the Morris Tribunal. John White had begun his collusion with Sinn Fein/PIRA before he was conveniently transferred to the Donegal Division.

Garda Inspector, Joseph Sullivan, also colluded with Sinn Fein/PIRA, and while this was widely known, Justice Minister, John O’Donoghue TD signed off on Joseph Sullivan being promoted to Garda Supt, it was not unusual for the corrupt to be rewarded with promotion, see, Morris Tribunal.

Conclusion

There was collusion between members of An Garda Siochana and Sinn Fein/PIRA, the numbers involved were small and much of that collusion is now known thanks to the work of The Morris and Smithwick Tribunals.

The Conspiracy against Garda Sgt Maurice McCabe is also worth viewing in this context, as it highlights the extent to which some of the most senior Gardai, including The Commissioner, were prepared to go to cover-up rather than address corruption within the ranks.

Without the work of An Garda Siochana and the Irish Army across the frontier with Northern Ireland, the numbers murdered would have been much greater, every day, Gardai and Irish Army placed their lives on the line to protect their neighbours in Northern Ireland, that sacrifice must never be forgotten.

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A History of The IRA

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What is Law? Sex Crime in Ireland

Loughgall Ambush 1987

Retaining the People who Know Your Business

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