Families of Dublin and Monaghan bombs 'watching' Garda response

Margaret Urwin of Justice for the Forgotten says they are worried by clauses in the directive issued by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, directing the Garda Commissioner to co-operate “to the extent which the Commissioner considers appropriate”.

Margaret Urwin of Justice for the Forgotten says the expected timeline for the completion of Operation Denton is making the group 'very nervous'.

Families of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings said they will be “watching very carefully” the level of co-operation Gardaí provide to a British review into the 1974 attacks, which killed 33 people.

It follows a decision by the Government last week to direct the Garda Commissioner to provide all relevant materials on these bombings and other attacks linked to the infamous loyalist Glenanne gang.

Former British police chief Jon Boutcher is conducting an inquiry, Operation Denton, into alleged collusion between British security services and the Glenanne gang in its terror campaigns north and south of the border during the 1970s.

Former British police chief Jon Boutcher

Margaret Urwin of Justice for the Forgotten, which campaigns for the victims of Dublin/Monaghan bombings and other cases in the Republic, said 127 cases are being investigated under Operation Denton.

She said Gardaí had signed a memorandum of understanding with Mr Boutcher following an order by the High Court in Belfast in July 2019 for the cases to be reviewed.

Ms Urwin said that in April 2021, the Gardaí announced they were unable to hand over relevant files.

“The Commissioner got legal advice that they couldn’t share information because this [Operation Denton] was a review and not a criminal investigation,” said Ms Urwin.

That was a year last April, nearly 15 months ago, and it's been going on ever since.” 

She said this was an “incredible” development after three Dáil motions over the years had been calling on the British to co-operate.

“Then you hear [from Boutcher investigation] that the British are co-operating with this review, but that Gardaí won’t give them a single document," she said. "Hopefully this is going to resolve it.” 

'Constantly frustrated'

She said the group has been “constantly frustrated” in their long campaign for justice, but said they were “always hopeful”.

Ms Urwin did add that she was somewhat concerned at clauses in the directive issued by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, directing the Commissioner to co-operate “to the extent which the Commissioner considers appropriate” having regard to Garda operational independence as enshrined in law.

“That worries me a bit,” she said. 

Certainly, we want everything handed over, and I know Jon Boutcher will be insisting on that — whether he gets it or not is another matter. We will be watching that space very carefully.” 

She said the review was under threat from draft British legislation which is set to offer immunity to those who co-operate with a new commission of reconciliation and stop civil actions.

“It’s more when than if the legislation comes in, it may well happen by the end of the year, and Operation Denton will be halted," she said.

"Jon Boutcher is telling us that it’s probably going to be early 2024 by the time he is completed, so we’re very nervous.” 

She said the group's lawyers rushed to lodge civil cases on May 17 last — "the anniversary of the Dublin Monaghan bombings" — after the UK's northern secretary Brandon Lewis declared that civil cases not lodged by that day could not go ahead.