Garda chief in charge of ‘negligent’ branch

GARDA Commissioner Noel Conroy headed the force’s Crime and Security branch at a time when it was negligent in failing to ask questions about a trip to the United States by two central figures investigated by the Morris Tribunal.

Information about the November 1994 trip by Adrienne McGlinchey and Yvonne Devine to New York was passed to Crime and Security, which in turned informed the FBI, who carried out surveillance on the two women. Ms McGlinchey had told her garda “handler” Detective Garda Noel McMahon that she was going to America in November 1994 on behalf of the IRA, despite the organisation being on ceasefire at the time. She claimed to be picking up documents, believed to relate to weapons that could bring down helicopters.

Commissioner Conroy became Assistant Commissioner, Crime and Security, on November 1, 1994.