12 April 2007 Edition

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AOH concern at McEntee report

Barrister, Paddy  McEntee

Barrister, Paddy McEntee

On behalf of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in the United States Jack Meehan has expressed concern following the publication of the McEntee Report into the Dublin/Monaghan bombings of 1974.
The organisation’s national President Jack Meehan said the investigation was at best, a disappointment but that it did make some “interesting revelations”.  
 “On that fateful day the Irish nation suffered an attack which, considering the size of Ireland and the impact of the attack on the Irish people, could be said to be as heinous as the 9/11 attack in New York City.  It was conducted by at least six loyalist terrorists and, according to the Barron Report, with the full knowledge and possibly with the aid of certain elements of the British Army. The British government refused to co-operate in the investigation. Now Mr. McEntee concludes that the Garda lacked much of the basic documentation necessary for a thorough investigation and some of those documents are still missing, specifically,10 highly sensitive security files.  This is indicative of an institution that is disinterested, disorganized and, more importantly, may have something to hide”, Meehan said.
He went on to say that it was amazing that the Garda concluded its investigation into the largest crime in the nation’s history in less than six months, without a single interrogation or arrest of the six suspects sought in the North.
“The Irish government did not even raise the matter at the UN. The British documentary Hidden Hand in 1993 actually conducted a more thorough investigation than that of the Garda” he said.  
Meehan said the AOH joined with others “in continuing the quest for the truth of  Bloody Sunday and the numerous collusion murders that took place during the conflict and that only now are being exposed”.

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