Gardaí failed to evacuate club for bomb scares, Tribunal told

Gardaí walked around with torches searching for suspect packages during several bomb scares at an unevacuated Donegal nightclub, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

Frank McBrearty Senior’s Raphoe business was the target of several bomb alerts between May 1997 and January 1998.

Eamonn McConnell, former head barman, said that despite attempts by senior staff to evacuate the premises, many customers and workers stayed because they believed the alerts to be hoaxes.

Rejecting accusations from gardai that staff refused to co-operate with officers in evacuating the club, he told tribunal barrister Paul McDermott SC gardaí had acted in an unprofessional manner during the alerts.

“They [gardaí] didn’t do the thing properly at all,” he said.

“They were going around the place with torches to see if they could get a bomb, it was totally unprofessional.

“They didn’t clear other buildings.

“It was new to us, but the guards should’ve known what they were doing,” he said.

The tribunal previously heard senior garda officers were subjected to abuse from the McBreartys and bar staff when they tried to evacuate the premises during the various alerts.

But Mr McConnell said he believed the hoax bomb scares were orchestrated by gardaí to try and put Frankie’s Nightclub out of business.

The tribunal is investigating claims the McBreartys, their extended family, business and staff were the victims of garda harassment following the October 1996 killing of local cattle dealer Richie Barron.

Frank McBrearty Junior and his cousin Mark McConnell, Eamonn’s brother, were wrongly suspected of the death by gardaí.

It was later ruled an unsolved hit-and-run and the pair were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Mr McConnell, Mr McBrearty Snr’s nephew, said he was not aware any bomb scares before May 2007.

He said he believed that if the bomb scares were legitimate, gardaí would have acted in a more professional manner.

“That made us think they were hoaxes because of the way the guards were dealing with the situation.

“I think they knew there was no bomb...

“There was at least half the patrons still on the premises and the other half were standing out in the car park,” he said.