By Evan Short
info@monaghanpost.com

A WOMAN who lost a loved one in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings has praised the operation that arrested a man in connection with the murder of Captain Robert Niarac – despite her holding the dead solder partly responsible for the horrific explosions.

On Tuesday the PSNI have arrested a South Armagh man in connection with one of the most infamous killings of the conflict.

In 1977 the undercover british army officer was abducted from a bar in Jonesborough by the IRA and taken over the border to an unknown location where he was murdered and had his body buried.

The case has always been in the public eye because the the mysterious nature of Robert Niarac and what he was doing in the area.

Justice campaigners have always alleged Niarac was involved with the loyalist ‘Glenanne Gang’ who have been implicated in the Monaghan bombing of 1974.

And Margaret Urwin says information their group has recived confirms that Niarac was involved with those who bombed the town, but despite his culapbility, she is happy to see the operatiion to find his killers continue.

“We believe that Robert Niarac, while we cannot say he was involved in the planning, was involved with the people who carried out the Monaghan bombing like Robin Jackson and Harris Boyle who was killed in the Miami Showband massacre. It has been said Harris Boyle (a serving british army solider) couldn’t turn round without Niarac’s permission, and he had been seen with him a number of times.”

However much Justice for the Forgotton blame Niariac for being involved in the wider collusion consiparacy that allowed the bombings to go ahead, she says that the very fact the case is still being pursued gives her and her collegues hope.

“The point that we are making today is that we welcome the fact that someone has been arrested. Our members had given up hope of anyone being arrested for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings but it is encouaging to see the PSNI arresting someone after 31 years.”

“We are hoping they put the same effort into arresting people who were involved in the murder of 34 people in the Dublin Monaghan bombings which happened three years before.”