Ireland’s foreign minister privately told the British home secretary that the controversy surrounding the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four cases was “seriously affecting” the relationship between the two nations, state papers have revealed.

RICHARD McILKENNY, one of the Birmingham Six wrongly imprisoned for bombings in the Midlands city, which killed 21 people, died in hospital yesterday.

Richard McIlkenny, one of the Birmingham Six wrongly imprisoned for the bombings which killed 21 people, died in hospital today.