Hunger striker may be ordered to name IRA members

A former republican hunger striker is expected to face new demands to name members of the IRA who were active in Derry at the time of Bloody Sunday, it emerged today.

Lord Saville who is heading the Bloody Sunday inquiry told Raymond McCartney he may be called to the city’s Guildhall in the future and ordered to reveal identities, insisting: “The consequences of refusing to answer a question from the inquiry can be quite serious”.

The warning followed Mr McCartney’s insistence that under “no circumstances” would he name anyone in the organisation, which he joined within months of the shootings on January 30, 1972.

Mr McCartney, 47, a former IRA commanding officer in the Maze Prison, was convicted in 1979 of the double murders of English businessman Jeffrey Agate and Special Branch officer Patrick McNulty in the city during one week in February 1977.

While serving 17 years of the two life sentences he received for the murders, Mr McCartney, spent 53 days on hunger strike in 1980. He lives in Derry and works for a support group for former republican prisoners.

Referred to at the inquiry as a republican “icon” by counsel for many of the soldiers, Peter Clarke QC, Mr McCartney is expected to stand as a Sinn Fein candidate in next year’s elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Appearing in an open-collared light blue shirt with a jacket, Mr McCartney told the inquiry that he would encourage members of the IRA to appear at the Saville Inquiry.

Describing Bloody Sunday as a “contributing factor” in his decision to become a members of the Provisionals, he insisted he had no previous thoughts of joining before the events of that day.

However, he said he did not know anyone in the group and had no knowledge of its activities on the day 13 civilian civil rights marchers were shot dead by soldiers.

Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein MP for Mid Ulster and his party’s chief negotiator has already admitted he was the IRA’s Number 2 in Derry at the time of the shootings.

He is due to give evidence to the inquiry sometime next year once the tribunal returns to Northern Ireland after hearings in London which start later this month.

Questioned by Gerard Elias QC, counsel for some of the military witnesses, as to whether he was in a position to give the names of those who were in the hierarchy of the IRA when he joined, Mr McCartney replied: “I would be, yes.”

However, when asked if he would be prepared to give that information to the tribunal, he answered: “No. Because I do not think it is relevant to the events of January 30, 1972.”

Lord Saville said he was grateful to Mr McCartney for joining the call of the families for everyone with information “that may help us to discover the truth about Bloody Sunday should come forward, including members of paramilitary organisations”.

But he warned him that he may be asked back and ordered to disclose some of those names, insisting that “the consequences of refusing to answer a question from the inquiry can be quite serious”.

Mr McCartney said he was not aware of any reason why any member of the Provisional IRA should not come forward and give evidence to the inquiry, adding he knew nothing of any warnings to members not to co-operate.

Under questioning by counsel for the inquiry, Cathryn McGahey, Mr McCartney urged members of the Provisional IRA to give evidence to the tribunal.

When asked whether he would encourage anyone who had evidence to come forward, Mr McCartney replied “yes”.

“I think people should listen to the advice of the families,” he said.

When asked if this included members of the Provisional IRA, he added: “If I say everybody, I mean everybody.”

He said he had never discussed the events of Bloody Sunday with Martin McGuinness.

The senior republican’s appearance at today’s hearing came as pressure mounted on the IRA to provide more testimonies about what happened on the day.

Lawyers, relatives and tribunal judges returned from their summer recess this week after the inquiry’s chairman Lord Saville expressed frustration that there was little Provisional IRA evidence four years into his investigation.

He said their evidence was important but if they did not give it he would be asked to draw the conclusion they had something to conceal.

Mr McGuinness, now the education minister in the power-sharing executive in Belfast, has been the only member of the Provisionals at the time of the 1972 shootings to provide a statement to the inquiry.

There have been reports that a second man, who was in the Provisional IRA in Derry at the time of the shootings but is no longer a member, is poised to give the tribunal a statement which will corroborate much of the Sinn Fein MP’s statement.

Mr McGuinness claimed the IRA moved weapons out of the Bogside on the day of the Catholic civil rights march on January 30, 1972 before it arrived.

Six members of the official IRA are also expected to give evidence.