Details have emerged this week about the arrest and subsequent release of an undercover British army unit in County Louth 30 years ago. The confidential British documents, released under the 30-year rule, relating to the arrest of eight SAS members on 5 May 1976 throw further light on the activities of undercover British operatives South of the border during a period when civilians were murdered in circumstances which raised major questions about collusion. Free article

Against a backdrop of controversy this week following a report by the Six County Police Ombudsman into the circumstances of the death of Jean McConville and a subsequent IRA statement outlining its position on the issue, further details emerged about ongoing republican efforts to locate and retrieve the remains of a number of missing people, killed by the IRA during the recent armed conflict. Free article

The text of a statement issued by Oglaigh na hÉireann on Saturday, 8 July. Free article

The depths of sectarian hatred that underpin the annual Orange Twelfth of July activities was exposed in full when Orange supporters in Ahoghill, County Antrim placed a Tricolour mocking Ballymena teenager and sectarian murder victim Michael McIlveen on a bonfire. Free article

The Equality Commission has ruled against flying the Union flag on civic buildings every day of the year. The ruling followed a complaint to the Equality Commission by Lisburn Sinn Féin Councillor Paul Butler. Free article

The death of IRA Volunteer Martin Hurson on 13 July 1981, after 46 days on the Hunger Strike, was unexpected. The suddenness of his death, coming only five days after that of Joe McDonnell, came as a shock, since two previous Hunger Strikers - Kieran Doherty and Kevin Lynch had been almost a week on hunger strike ahead of Martin. Plus the Blanketman who replaced the Joe McDonell on the H-Block Hunger Strike was 25-year-old Pat McGeown from West Belfast. Free article

Republicans gathered throughout Ireland last Saturday to mark 25th anniversary of the death of IRA Volunteer Joe McDonnell after 61 days on hunger strike. Events took place in Belfast, Dublin, Derry, Cork, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Waterford, Wicklow and elsewhere. Free article