Archive: British held talks with republicans in 1970s to 'disrupt them'

Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave

British officials secretly admitted the reason they held secret talks with “desperate” republicans in the 1970s was to damage and undermine them.

According to British cabinet papers released today and seen by the Irish Examiner, they also said another reason they met Sinn Féin was to gather intelligence on them.