Four held in relation to 1972 IRA bomb murders

Three men and a woman were arrested today by police investigating an IRA bomb atrocity more than 30 years ago in which nine people were killed.

One of those detained is a pensioner, and all are in their late 50s or 60s.

They were detained for questioning about the Claudy bombing in July 1972 when three car bombs ripped through the CoDerry village.

No-one has ever been brought to trial for the murders. The youngest victim was eight years old.

The Police Service said those arrested were a 67-year-old man and a 60-year-old man, who were both detained in Dungiven, Co Derry, a 50-year-old man arrested in the Portglenone area of Co Antrim, and a 58-year-old woman detained in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

Police launched a fresh probe into the bombing under a senior detective in 2002 when they revealed a local Catholic priest had been part of the IRA gang which bombed Claudy.

Father James Chesney, who died in 1980, was named as the priest concerned.

Police alleged a cover-up had been hatched between the British government and the then Catholic primate Cardinal Conway to keep the priest’s involvement secret when rumours began that he was linked to the bombing.

Cardinal Conway moved the priest across the border to Co Donegal where he died eight years later.

His name became public after a letter detailing his involvement, written by a “Father Liam”, emerged in 2002