Republican group hit after second British 'mole'
The Saoradh Easter Rising March on Easter Monday. The hardline republican group has been left reeling after revelations that a second person linked to the party was allegedly working for British intelligence. Picture: Alan Lewis
Hardline republican group Saoradh has been left reeling after revelations that a second person linked to the party was allegedly working for British intelligence.
The man, who disappeared several days ago, is connected with a person closely associated with Saoradh, a political party linked with the New IRA.
Both the party and the man’s family issued statements confirming that he worked for the British security service, MI5, with the family claiming he had been “pressured” into it and his various “vulnerabilities” exploited by his handlers.
It is not clear if the man was a member of Saoradh in Derry, with the party claiming he was on the periphery, but some observers believe they are trying to play down the connection.
The revelation follows the disclosure less than two years ago that Denis McFadden was working as an informer on both Saoradh and the New IRA for MI5.
That emerged after the arrest of nine members of the party in August 2020, leading to terrorism-related charges.
“I didn’t think McFadden was the only informer in this group and I was expecting this,” said Dieter Reinisch of NUI Galway, who researches Northern-related terrorism.
He said the level of stops and searches of Saoradh and suspected New IRA members in Derry in recent years indicated that.
“I think there are a lot of informers in republican organisations, in particular this organisation in Derry.”
He said this revelation will “feed suspicion” in the group.
“There’s a lot of paranoia in the organisation and this will increase it.”
He thought it would “further splinter” the organisation into local entities, adding: “At the moment, I don’t think you can even speak of an overall national structure."
