By Cliona Connolly
JUSTICE for the Forgotten, the group which represents the families of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings victims, has announced it will take a High Court challenge against the Taoiseach, Ireland and the Attorney General over aspects of the Commission of Investigation into the bombings.
The group said it wanted to establish why the McEntee Commission failed to report on part of its terms of reference and it also said it has not been allowed access to the evidence gathered. “We have been advised that these failures constitute an injustice to the deceased, the injured and their families under the European Convention of Human Rights,” Margaret Urwin of the victims group explained.
The McEntee Commission was carried out by Paddy McEntee, a Monaghan native and one of Ireland’s most successful criminal defence lawyers. The report was heavily critical of the Garda Investigation into the bombings and, despite failing to point the finger at any clear perpetrators, it exposed inept record keeping and the destruction of evidence by gardai including the burning of a large amount of evidence stored in the Garda ballistics section at the end of 1974.
“The survivors and families were absolutely devastated by the report. At the very least they expect a public apology from the Garda Commissioner. We also ask any serving gardai who had been involved in the 1974 investigations consider their positions” Ms Urwin said at the time of its publication.
The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974 resulted in the biggest loss of life on a single day in the Troubles. Seven people died in Monaghan 90 minutes after the Dublin bomb exploded killing 26 people. A total of 250 people were injured. The loyalist paramilitary group, the UVF, later admitted carrying out the atrocities.
Commenting on the development, the Taoiseach said the Attorney General would examine the legal challenge.
