"Only it happened to me - I wouldn't believe it."

These are the words of Tim Grace whose wife Breda was murdered in the Dublin/Monaghan Bombings on 17 May 1974. Tim was not referring to the fact that his wife was killed, leaving him alone to raise their one year old son. He was referring specifically to the official silence, intrigue and lack of public accountability which has characterised the political and police response to the biggest mass murder case in the history of the Irish Republic.

The focus of the families and wounded who are involved in their Justice for the Forgotten Campaign has perceptibly changed in the last few months. While they still wish to know the whos' and whys' concerning the bombings, their focus now is on official answers to very basic and simple questions regarding the nature, extent and adequacy of the Garda Investigation, and the response of the Cosgrave Government. In particular, the Minister for Justice at the time, Mr. Patrick Cooney.

In February this year, the bereaved and wounded wrote to every member of the Oireachtas who, it should be remembered, packed the Dail and Senate Chambers to rush through tough emergency legislation following the Omagh bombing last year. The addresses used came from an up-to-date list supplied by the Oireachtas Press Office. The letter invited patronage for their Campaign and support for a Tribunal of Inquiry. In both houses, little more than 20% of members responded positively: 36 TD's from all parties, excluding the PD's; and 12 Senators. 101 TD's (60%) and 45 Senators (75%) didn't bother to reply.

The predictable response from key Government Ministers unmasks an official response being directed by the Department for Justice. Letters received from Ministers Andrews and O'Donnell at the Department of Foreign Affairs contain the sentence: "The Minister for Justice is unconvinced that the opening of a Tribunal of Inquiry would be a suitable course of action at this point since the Garda investigation file on the case remains open." Former Taoiseach, John Bruton, wrote: "I do not believe that a Tribunal of Inquiry would be successful in establishing any additional facts other than those already in the public domain..." On 24 March 1999, Pat Murray, Private Secretary to Justice Minister John O'Donoghue, wrote: "While one cannot have anything but sympathy for those affected, the Minister is unconvinced that the establishment of a Tribunal of Enquiry... would be the right course of action to take." Mr. Murray doesn't indicate what the Minister considers would be the right course, apart from the fact that "the Garda investigation file on these bombings remains open."

The Taoiseach, Mr. Ahern, in whose political constituency the vast majority of bombing victims were murdered and maimed, has thus far not responded, though a meeting with the Justice for the Forgotten Campaign is imminent. In the past he has publicly stated that the dogs in the street could bark the names of those responsible. In private, he has told individuals that if and when he became Taoiseach, he intended opening the Garda files on the bombings. However, on March 5, 1999, during a meeting with the Belfast-based Relatives for Justice campaign, Mr. Ahern said that while he had intended opening the files, since coming to power he had discovered that "...there was nothing in the files that would have suggested or indicated who was responsible...".

In the past, such benign responses from politicians may have disillusioned and disheartened the families and wounded in their efforts to seek truth and justice - ultimately closure to their suffering. Today, they are simply angered and energised to expose, what they increasingly believe, is an official cover-up.

Update - July 1999 by the PFC

In July the Victims Commission in the Republic of Ireland published its report, Ait agus Ainm/A Place and a Name. The Commissioner John Wilson made the following comments and recommendations in relation to the calls for an inquiry into the Dublin Monaghan bombings,

"At the same time there is a widespread demand to find the truth about individual cases. The most prominent of these is the case of the Dublin Monaghan bombings of 17th May, 1974. A quarter of a century later this is still the greatest atrocity of the Troubles. No one has ever been made amenable. This is obviously felt deeply by the relatives of those killed and by those injured. Little information has been given from official sources as to who may have committed the crime or why. My information on what happened comes, in the main, from reportage which suggests, among other things, that the Garda investigation had identified the probably culprits very quickly but that it then ran into difficulties. This reportage also suggests that the Garda did not receive all appropriate cooperation from the RUC, that the Irish Government did not press the British Government on this point, and that agents of a friendly Government may have had a hand in planning and executing the crime. Some of the reportage presents evidence, which, on the face of it, seems very plausible, to support some of these allegations. These surviving victims and relatives have been relentless in their commitment to finding out the truth. They have gone to the High and Supreme Court seeking Garda files in support of their case with the European Court of Human Rights - to no avail. While I understand the Garda Commissioner’s stand in upholding the principle of the confidentiality of Garda files, this seems to have reinforced the belief of some of the victims that there has been and that there continues to be come sort of cover up.

Similar concerns have been expressed by victims of other outrages such as the Sackville Place and Liberty Hall bombings in December, 1972 and the Dundalk bombing of December, 1975, as well as the families of other individual victims."

The Commissioner continued,

4.5.2 "It is difficult to assess the events of 17th May, 1974 coldly and unemotionally. This was the bloodiest and most chilling day of the whole period mentioned in terms of reference. Nobody has been made to answer for the murders of that May day in 1974. The surviving victims and their relatives have been relentless in their commitment to finding out the truth. They have gone to the High & Supreme Courts in pursuit of documentation – to no avail. There is a vacuum. His vacuum is being filled by speculation and rumour which are damaging to the Garda Siochana.

Another aspect of this tragedy which puzzles me, although not strictly part of my terms of reference, is the inertia over the years of the citizens of Dublin. They are known as a generous people, having sent aid in human and material resources to every corner around the globe. Yet no citizens’ committee was formed in Dublin in aid of these victims. Perhaps it is not too late. When the Dublin-Monaghan victims see (and they see with no begrudging eyes) what is happening elsewhere. They fell neglected. They think that somehow they are less important than others!

I am convinced that the victims and relatives have a right to an independent enquiry which will, to the extent that this is possible, sift out fact from fiction and strong probability from mere speculation. I recommend that the Government choose a former Supreme Court Judge to enquire privately into:

1. The facts, circumstances, and causes of the bombings.
2. the nature, extent and adequacy of the Garda investigation including the adequacy of cooperation with authorities in Northern Ireland and the adequacy of the handling of the scientific of forensic evidence.
3. The reasons why no prosecutions took place including whether and, if so, by whom and to what extent the investigation was impeded.
4. Any other matter connected with or relevant to the establishment of the truth.

As one of his/her first tasks s/he should examine Garda files to see if there is anything relevant to the case which this group is taking to the European Court of Human Rights. Relevant material should be made available to either the court or the group’s legal team, as the Judge considers appropriate. The Judge will publish a report of his/her findings. If the Judge sees fit s/he may recommend any further action which s/he thinks might lead to the uncovering of more information. S/he may also think it fit to forward files to the DPP or the European Court of Human Rights. I appreciate that such an inquiry may need to be given statuary powers but I recommend that it be established, in the first instance, on a non statutory basis, carrying out such inquires as it can, and that the drafting and enactment of any necessary legislation should take place in parallel at the Judge’s request."

Angry Reaction to Recommendations

Relatives and survivors of the atrocity reacted angrily to the recommendation that any inquiry should be private in nature. Frank Massey, who lost his daughter Anna, said, "We asked for a public inquiry, there are no proper private inquiries".What are they (the Irish government) afraid of ? "I am not going to have some faceless person telling me I can’t attend an inquiry." The solicitor for the families, Greg O’ Neill, also expressed outrage at the possibility of a private inquiry.

PFC Update ends.

The rest of the article:
1974 - The Political Context
The Garda Investigation
The Cosgrave Cabinet
Treated Like Lepers
The Garda Files

Other related items:

Dublin/Monaghan Information Appeal

The UK Government, Sovereign Immunity, Pinochet and the Dublin & Monaghan Bombings, Sunday Tribune, April 2002

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