New Loughgall inquests despite British Government bids to block them

NEW INQUESTS into the SAS killings of eight IRA Volunteers and civilian Anthony Hughes at Loughgall in 1987 will go ahead despite attempts by the British Government to block them using the catch-all “in the interests of national security” excuse.

British Advocate General Jeremy Wright QC, who is independent of the British Government, announced on Wednesday that “following careful consideration of a huge amount of material, I have come to the decision that new inquests into the Loughall deaths are justified”.

The coroners service in the North will now “take this forward”, said Wright.

The Loughgall families have long been campaigning for new inquests. In a last-ditch attempt to thwart them, British Secretary of State Theresa Villiers referred the case to the Advocate General. She argued that the SAS ambush in which eight IRA Volunteers – Jim Lynagh, Patrick Kelly, Pádraig McKearney, Gerard O'Callaghan, Tony Gormley, Eugene Kelly, Seamus Donnelly and Declan Arthurs – as well as civilian Anthony Hughes (whose brother was also wounded) touched on issues of 'national security'.

Welcoming this week's news, Mairéad Kelly, sister of Patrick Kelly, said:

“We hope that the inquests can be established promptly and that the families and the coroner will be provided with all the information they need.”

She went on to say that the families wanted to challenge the British Government over how it “decides who lives and who dies”.

Sinn Féin MLA Bronywn McGahan said:

“The families have a right to know how their loved ones died and if their deaths could have been prevented.

“I pay tribute to the families of those killed for the manner in which they have conducted this long campaign despite British Government efforts to frustrate them.”