Brady denies using bombings for 'sympathy votes'

DUBLIN European candidate Royston Brady last night gave a rare public interview in a bid to limit damaging accusations that he sought to capitalise from the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings.

Angry victims of the atrocity yesterday rounded on Mr Brady after he claimed his father's taxi had been hijacked and used as a getaway vehicle by loyalists responsible for the bombings.

But Mr Brady, who made the remarks about his father's hijacking in a Hot Press interview several months ago, last night stood by his version of events.

"It happened. There's no doubt about it and surely there would be records of police files to show that," he said

According to victims' group Justice For The Forgotten, Mr Brady's version of events could not be accurate since none of the getaway cars were hijacked in the Republic.

The bitter controversy, coming just 36 hours before tomorrow's election, may jeopardise Mr Brady's chances of winning a seat and has certainly dealt a blow to the media-shy candidate's prospects.

Victim Ed O'Neill said he was shocked and appalled that anyone could make such an unfounded and untruthful remark.

"It's absolutely infuriating that somebody like Royston Brady could try, in many people's view, to obtain the sympathy vote from the people of Dublin at the politically sensitive time of the European Parliament election.

"I believe it's immature to say the least and highly insulting to the genuine victims and survivors of this bombing that he should try and attempt to have his name associated with such an awful atrocity," he said.

Tánaiste Mary Harney also rowed into the controversy yesterday saying it would be regrettable if anyone used the 1974 atrocity to garner votes.

"I don't know how this controversy arose but I would regret very, very much indeed if anyone would choose, for electoral or other reasons, to cause hardship and grief to the victims of the Monaghan and Dublin bombings who have already suffered more than enough," she said."

But Mr Brady denied bringing the issue up to attract votes. "It's something that I had mentioned in an interview, but in an article this evening in the newspaper they claimed it was a ploy to get votes, which is absolutely unacceptable to me."

Mr Brady also defended that despite being contacted by the Barron Inquiry to outline his recollection of events he had not responded.

"I had nothing to add to what I had already said in the interview a couple of months previously," he said, adding he hoped the electorate would see through the story.

"It's been out in the public arena for the past eight months. I'm quite taken aback that it's left till 36 hours before an election. They have manufactured this story, they have put it on the front page and it's ultimately to cause maximum damage," he said.