Commission of Investigation: Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974

After publication of Justice Henry Barron's report on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the Irish Government established a follow-on Commission of Investigation: Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 to inquire into certain aspects of the Gardaí investigation into the 1974 bombings on 13 May 2005 under Patrick MacEntee SC QC as sole member.

Terms of reference

The terms of reference of the Commission of Investigation are:

To undertake a thorough investigation and make a report on the following specific matters considered by the Government to be of significant public concern.

Interim reports

Oireachtas reports on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings

Publication

The McEntee report was published at 5pm on 4 April 2007, after its contents had been given to surviving victims and to the families of those who had been killed by the bombs.

The Commission Report stated that Garda intelligence failed "to meet an adequate and proper standard" and "The commission considers that it is probable that this serious organisational deficit provided an inadequate standard of support to those Gardaí involved in the criminal investigations." Photograph albums of suspects were missing, including records of the contents. Garda notebooks were "presumed lost, abandoned or destroyed." A finger print was found on a registration plate of the Monaghan bomb car. McEntee observed, "This registration plate is no longer in the possession of the Garda Siochana."

The Report further stated that it had been hampered by inadequate information provided by the British authorities and by loss of an unknown amount of information in the possession of the Gardaí. McEntee considers that his investigation, like the Barron Inquiry, was limited "by not having access to original security and intelligence documents in the possession of the British Government." The Report said its terms of reference were not wide-ranging enough to allow it to comment further.

No definitive finding was possible on why the Garda investigations ended in July (Monaghan) and August (Dublin) 1974, due to loss of material, deaths of witnesses, and a practice of "not committing decisions to writing".[1]

Relatives of those killed said they were disappointed but not surprised by findings.

See also

References

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