Dublin/Monaghan bombings - release files Cowen told

The Celtic League have hit out at attempts by the Irish government
to obstruct efforts by those relatives campaigning for truth and justice
over the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

We understand the new Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, is appealing a High
Court order compelling him to hand over secret files on the Dublin
and Monaghan bombings.

Earlier this month the High Court ordered the Department of the Taoiseach
to produce all documents it had handed over to the McEntee investigation
which was set up in 2005 and reported in 2007. It is believed that
information supplied to that enquiry included files relating to the
British government, MI5, MI6 and other Northern Ireland agencies.


The files are understood to have contained "significant" new material
about the blasts which have been withheld from relatives of those
who died. The relatives groups want a full public enquiry at which
all information held by both the British and Irish governments is
revealed.

The car bombings in Dublin and Monaghan Bombings on May 17, 1974 killed
33 people and injured almost 300.

Although a Loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force
(UVF), claimed responsibility for the bombings (many years later)
there is a widespread consensus that the attacks could not have been
mounted without the active collusion and support of British Intelligence.
Though the British government refute this they pointedly will not
make all evidence available.

The Oireachtas Committee on Justice has described the atrocity as
an act of international terrorism colluded in by British Security
Forces.


"Dear Mr Cowen,

We were shocked to learn that the Irish government is obstructing
attempts by relatives of victims of those killed in the 1974 Dublin
and Monaghan bombings. It is shameful that your government is frustrating
access to confidential files which might provide crucial evidence
in their campaign for justice.

It is past time that there was a full and open public enquiry into
these events at which all the evidence from both the British and Irish
governments was made available.

Rather than obstruct efforts to access information that the Irish
government holds this should be freely conceded and the Irish government
could then concentrate its efforts on pressuring the United Kingdom
government to provide more information on its murky involvement in
this heinous atrocity.

Rather than obstruct efforts to access information that the Irish
government holds this should be freely conceded and the Irish government
could then concentrate its efforts on pressuring the United Kingdom
government to provide more information on its murky involvement in
this heinous atrocity.

Yours faithfully,

J B Moffatt"

Related articles on Celtic News at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2267
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2181
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2122
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2104

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

26/05/08


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

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