Walter Mitty-type woman used by gardaí

THIS entire set of circumstances started with a mischievous young woman anxious to portray herself as an informer, says Mr Justice Frederick Morris.

But he can’t answer why Adrienne McGlinchey set out on the course she did.

Her ducking and diving around Buncrana with batteries and the inside of television sets, in full view of the gardaí, could have ended as just an eccentric footnote in the history of policing in north Donegal. But then she met Detective Garda Noel McMahon and later Superintendent Kevin Lennon.

Mr Justice Morris has no doubt the two gardaí manipulated Ms McGlinchey in order to further their own careers.

It should have been obvious, and it was to many in the area, that Ms McGlinchey had no connection to the IRA, that she was, in the words of one garda, a Walter Mitty-type character.

But while manipulated, she was willing and enjoyed the excitement. And why not, running around with the two gardaí planting hoax explosives, pretending to make up bombs in her flat and never being under the slightest threat of being charged.

While it must have been strange for the three of them to be running around pretending to be involved in important police work, the two gardaí were motivated by the kudos showered upon them and the chance of career advancement.

For Detective Garda McMahon, the promised rewards did not materialise, not least because of his highly erratic behaviour - pointing a cocked gun at a colleague - his drinking and his volatile married life.

But Inspector Lennon, who was called in to supervise the handling of McGlinchey by McMahon, was rewarded with a promotion to superintendent in 1996.

At that stage, he must have felt those weird days hanging about sheds in Rossnowlagh and organising drops across the Border were well behind him.

Rossnowlagh, where explosives planted by the three were found, was the biggest coup and the last of seven “operations” the three took part in. There were messages of congratulations from the highest levels in Dublin and London. But in early 1999, it all began to unravel as the Carty inquiry investigating allegations of corruption in Raphoe began probing the claims of Sheenagh McMahon.

Kevin Lennon has always denied wrongdoing, was angry at not being allowed to have his legal fees paid for him and conducted his own cross-examination.

Today, he faces being thrown out of the force after being found to be corrupt and a liar.

Main players

Supt Kevin Lennon: 30 year veteran appointed Superintendent in 1996, he is found to have orchestrated the planting of ammunition and to have lied to the tribunal.

Det Gda Noel McMahon: More than 20 years on the force, he conspired with Supt Lennon to plant ammunition and hoax explosives and lie to the tribunal.

Chief Supt Sean Ginty: Chief Supt in Letterkenny from 1987 to 1994, he is accused of being negligent and of allowing operations to take place which showed he did not apply himself to the task of managing the Donegal division.

Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick: Succeeded Chief Supt Ginty as the head of the Donegal division in 1994, accused of negligence. At the time of some of the incidents, he was Border Supt.

Supt John P. O’Connor: Promoted to Supt in 1992 and posted to Buncrana, accused of negligence for failing to ask ordinary and obvious questions or acting as a rational member of the police.

Supt Michael Duffy: Promoted to Supt in 1989 and now retired, he is accused of negligence for failing to make proper inquiries, particularly in relation to the Rossnowlagh ‘finds’.

Gda Martin Leonard: The GRA representative in the area, he is accused of abusing his position and conspiring to frustrate the Carty investigation team.

Adrienne McGlinchey: Now 39, the senator’s daughter was a “mischievous” young woman whose testimony in itself was unreliable but backed up by others.

Yvonne Devine: Ms McGlinchey’s friend and niece of well-known republican Pearse McAuley, the 29-year-old was a reluctant witness and claims she was young and did not understand what she was embroiled in.

Sheenagh McMahon: The estranged wife of Noel McMahon who first aired the allegations of hoax explosive finds, the tribunal was satisfied her evidence was completely truthful.