Fresh inquiry on Claudy massacre over claims

A NEW inquiry is to be launched into the Claudy massacre following fresh claims that a Catholic priest planned the bomb attack in July 1972.

Police are re-opening the investigation into the July 1972 IRA bombing of the Co Derry village where nine people died in one of the North’s worst atrocities.

No-one has ever been charged with the murders.

The inquiry will be headed by Chief Inspector Pat Steele.

Last month, Derry City Mayor Mary Hamilton received a letter claiming that Fr Jim Chesney, who is now deceased, masterminded the triple bomb outrage.

The letter alleged that Fr Chesney, who died of cancer in 1980, had confessed his part in the bombing to another priest.

The Catholic Church has challenged the letter’s authenticity.

The IRA has denied that Fr Chesney was one of its members, but former Stormont Minister Ivan Cooper insisted that the priest was a member of the terrorist group’s South Derry Brigade.

“There is no doubt that the South Derry Brigade was responsible for the bombing,” Mr Cooper said.

“It is my view that Fr Chesney was OC (officer commanding) on the day and members of the South Derry Brigade drove those three cars to Claudy.”

Mrs Hamilton yesterday welcomed the new inquiry, saying: “We owe it to the families of the victims to get something. I was in Claudy on the day of the bombing and I will never forget the sights I saw.”

Billy Aiken, whose young daughter Katherine was killed in the bombings, said he hoped the investigation would establish whether the letter was genuine.

He hoped those responsible would eventually be caught. “I would like to see one or two or three people brought to justice for what they did,” he said.

“We have been tortured for 30 years for no reason and I would like to see some of them doing 30 years in the slammer.”