{"id":26615,"date":"2022-06-26T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-26T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26615"},"modified":"2022-06-27T10:02:59","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T14:02:59","slug":"gardai-urged-to-release-files-on-dublin-monaghan-bombings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26615","title":{"rendered":"Garda\u00ed Urged To Release Files On Dublin\/Monaghan Bombings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
A memorial marking the Dublin and Monaghan bombings (PA Archive\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A man who survived a bomb attack in Dublin as a young child has pressed garda\u00ed to release files relating to their investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward O\u2019Neill was just five years old when the blast on Parnell Street, part of the Dublin\/Monaghan series of bombs, killed his father and left him with life-long injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one has ever been convicted over the four no-warning bombs on May 17th, 1974 which claimed 35 lives, including two unborn babies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The attacks have been blamed on loyalist paramilitaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The O\u2019Neill family had gone to the city center to get haircuts the day before Mr O\u2019Neill\u2019s brother had his first communion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He described walking out of the barber shop with his father holding both him and his brother by the hand when the bomb exploded.A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget it, my dad was swinging me on his left hand, he had my brother by the right hand\u2026 my brother jumped up and grabbed a button out of his jacket, as he went down to pick it up the bomb exploded,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr O\u2019Neill is still receiving treatment for the injuries he received that day, including skull fractures, a broken jaw, fractured cheekbone, collapsed lung, first and second degree burns and severe lacerations to both legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this week, he underwent his 64th operation: spinal surgery, to correct those injuries from almost 50 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His mother Martha was heavily pregnant at the time, and went on to lose her baby as a result of the trauma. Martha junior\u2019s name was added to the memorial on Talbot Street last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case is currently under review by Jon Boutcher\u2019s Operation Kenova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However Mr O\u2019Neill said the garda\u00ed are \u201cblocking\u201d the release of files to the independent cold-case initiative led by the former Bedfordshire chief constable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said garda\u00ed have refused to meet him on the matter, adding: \u201cI have requested on many an occasion meetings with the Garda to tell me face to face why they are blocking the release of files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They have completely ignored us, they have refused any request for a meeting, they have treated us absolutely appallingly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is understood that as Operation Kenova is a review exercise, cross-border protocol only allows the sharing of files for live investigations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an effort under way to devise legislation to allow the files to be shared, however Mr O\u2019Neill said his family suspects this is a delaying tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he believes the garda\u00ed are protecting a terrorist informant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been told there is a statutory instrument being written to allow Boutcher\u2019s team to get access to the files,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t doubt the sincerity for one second of what Boutcher\u2019s team is trying to do, what I do have a problem with is the sincerity of the Garda\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have been trying to get a meeting with the Garda to ask what is going on with the files but they just ignore me. If the whole thing about the statutory instrument was genuine, what\u2019s the problem with them saying this to me, confirming it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr O\u2019Neill said his family feels left behind by the Good Friday Agreement, saying victims and survivors were forgotten, \u201cignored at the expense of terrorists\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVictims and survivors have been left fighting for scraps,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis whole thing has occupied my entire adult life, many times I would have loved to have my anonymity back, I\u2019d love to be the anonymous person in the crowd but people know me as the kid who was blown up coming out of the barbers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr O\u2019Neill also said his family would like to see a public inquiry into the atrocity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding, a Garda spokesperson said: \u201cIt is the policy of An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na not to make detailed public comment on ongoing investigations such as this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na reaffirms its commitment to continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the bombings of Dublin and Monaghan in 1974 with the objective of identifying and holding those responsible to account for their criminality in relation to these matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na continues to appeal to any person who has any information in relation to the events in Dublin and Monaghan in May 1974 either, who has not contacted An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na to this day, or who may have provided information to An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na at some stage but has further information which they may now be able to provide at this time to make contact with An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na at any Garda station or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.\u201d<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>