A father whose child was killed in a bomb blast in Belturbet, Co Cavan, more than 30 years ago has criticised his local TD, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, for not lending his voice to a documentary about the bombing.
Mr Joe Stanley, now in his 70s , lost his 16-year-old son, Patrick, after a 100lb bomb, believed to have been planted by the UVF, went off in the Cavan town in 1972.
The bomb left many people seriously injured in the town and also killed 15-year-old Geraldine O'Reilly, a Belturbet native.
Mr Stanley comes from Mr Cowen's home town of Clara in Co Offaly and recently featured in a radio documentary entitled The Forgotten Bomb, which was broadcast on Shannonside Northern Sound last week.
The programme detailed the horror and devastation caused by the 1972 bombing, which many believe has been shrouded in mystery for over 30 years.
The families expressed anger and frustration that the bombing had never been marked in any significant way in the town.
They also claimed that no detailed inquiry or investigation had been conducted into the bombing, which occurred on December 28th, 1972.
Following the programme, Mr Stanley asked serious questions about why the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and Mr Cowen didn't speak about the incident on radio.
Referring to a request made by the programme's producer to the Taoiseach and Mr Cowen to take part in the programme, Mr Stanley said the Government had been silent for 32 years. "When we wanted one of our own to help us, he was silent," he said.
In a letter to the Stanleys, the programme's producer said: "I had asked your local TD, Brian Cowen, to take part in the programme.
"However, he declined at the last minute as he was on holiday. The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, is supposed to be reacting to the programme with us on-air later this week.
"I will forward you a copy of that interview if he does."
Mr Stanley said he felt that he had been "stabbed in the back" by the politicians' unavailability for the radio programme. "All the parties have kept quiet about the issues," he said.
A spokesman for Mr Cowen confirmed that he had been contacted by the programme's producer to appear on the show. However, he explained that the Minister was on holiday at the time.
The spokesman stressed that the Minister had considered doing something for the programme despite the fact that he was on holiday because of the Clara connection.
Unfortunately, he said, the only available day was when Mr Cowen was at a funeral.
The Minister had contacted people at the radio station to explain the circumstances and they had accepted the situation.
He said the Minister had written to the Stanley family at Christmas and had spoken to the Taoiseach about the issue.
"It's something that the Minister is keeping a watchful eye on," he said.