Toleration of IRA 'would have been treachery'

A senior garda said today the concept of tacit toleration towards the IRA in Co Donegal during the 1990s was “an appalling scenario“.

Superintendent John O’Connor was quizzed about that possibility by Peter Charleton, counsel for the Morris Tribunal investigation into garda corruption claims.

Giving evidence for the third successive day at the Dublin-based inquiry, the superintendent faced detailed questioning about the then garda attitude towards Adrienne McGlinchey, seen by some officers as a leading informer on local subversive activities, despite widespread doubts.

Ms McGlinchey – who has persistently rejected claims that she operated as an informer – was arrested on a number of occasions in Buncrana and elsewhere, including on suspicion of possessing terrorist materials, but never faced any charges.

Mr Charleton put it to the superintendent: “People might reasonably suspect there is collusion between the IRA and the Garda.

“If the law is not enforced by virtue of this, one has to reasonably ask the question, was it a case of some form of tacit toleration – we let these guys go about their business and we won’t bother them if they don’t bother us.”

Mr O’Connor responded: “That would be an appalling scenario if we allowed that to go on. Absolutely no way would I have tolerated treachery to that level against the state and against the people.”

Mr Charleton alleged that the charges against Ms McGlinchey, including two instances of possession of bullets, one instance of suspected possession of a firearm, and one instance of suspected possession of three rifles “was dealt with in a softly-softly way”.

He added: “If you add those things together, it is a serious situation. Do you agree?”

The superintendent answered: “In hindsight, yes.”

Mr O’Connor also accepted that it had been “an appalling situation“.

The tribunal counsel said it led to a situation where terrorist activity would be “given the succour of preparation”, thereby facilitating “the carrying out of terrorist operations in another part of Ireland”.

Mr Charleton added: “Is that not appalling, the idea that people would go over and kill Irish people across the border and British personnel?

“Everybody keeps coming back to this thing – that if she (Ms McGlinchey) was an informer we had to protect her – including and up to tolerating five serious breaches of the criminal law, one after the other.”

He asked the superintendent: “Did you ever consider that the toleration of that – if McGlinchey was real, as opposed to fraudulent – would be leading to loss of life in Ireland?”

Mr O’Connor replied: “I can see your point.”

Mr Charleton then quizzed Mr O’Connor about the detective sections of the gardaí, which took over from their uniformed colleagues at the scenes of arms hauls.

He said it was “as if the detective branch were an entirely separate wing of the state, apart from the Garda Siochana“.

Mr O’Connor replied: “That’s the way I saw it. The reality was that was the position of the border (detective) superintendent – he would have a far greater brief in relation to intelligence matters than I would.

“He would have a far wider picture and I would have full confidence in him. He was the expert in that area. He had the information and the knowledge of those things.”

It is claimed that Ms McGlinchey, together with two detectives, Supt Kevin Lennon and Garda Noel McMahon, had prepared explosives that were later planted in bogus garda arms finds.

The two officers, both suspended, deny the allegations.

Supt O’Connor, stationed in Buncrana during the 1990s, but now based in Tralee, Co Kerry, was asked by Mr Charleton how he felt about being “kept in the dark” about the McGlinchey link.

He answered: “In those years, that was the situation that was run on the border in relation to border operations, intelligence-driven. And I accepted that. I had no reason to challenge it.”

The current, Dublin-based phase of the tribunal, being chaired by former High Court President Mr Justice Frederick Morris, is focusing on claims about mixing explosives for the allegedly faked finds.

The inquiry returned to the allegations concerning explosives against the gardaí last September after a gap of four months.

During the summer, the tribunal looked into separate allegations, centring on controversy over the mystery roadside death six years ago of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron. That aspect of the inquiry has been adjourned until later this year.

The tribunal was established by order of the Oireachtas two years ago to inquire into a wide-ranging series of claims about garda activities in the Co Donegal division.

In all, the investigation is expected to go on for at least two years, with reports indicating it could be 2006 before the proceedings finally conclude.