Tribunal told of 'mole' speculation

Within 24 hours of the murder of two high ranking RUC officers close to the Border in South Armagh in 1989, security services North and South rejected suggestions that an informer was passing information to the IRA, the Smithwick Tribunal heard today.

Reviewing press coverage of the killings of RUC officers Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan, the tribunal was this morning told speculation of a ‘mole’ was ruled out by the then Garda commissioner Eugene Crowley, as well as the then chief constable Sir John Hermon.

The day after the killings the then northern secretary Tom King rejected suggestions of a mole in an address to the House of Commons. The same day then minister for justice in the South Gerry Collins made a similar assertion.

However, reading extracts of the press coverage, counsel for the tribunal Dara Hayes referred to reports in the Irish Press of March 21, 1989, in which it was claimed the previous day's killings would "renew" speculation about a mole in the security services. The article was headlined "mole fear in double killing". The newspaper said "a hunt" was already underway within the Gardaí to establish whether such a mole was operating.

The Irish Press article said speculation about an informer had been in circulation for a number of years and centred on the killings of Lord Justice Gibson and his wife Cecily as well as the Hanna family and a number of others who had been murdered as they crossed the Border from the South to the North. The Irish Press concluded the latest killings were "certain to raise suspicion about how the IRA is getting information" on targets crossing the Border.

Acknowledging similar speculation The Irish Times reported there had for two years been concern about the 1987 leak to the IRA of a confidential document concerning the travel arrangements of Sir Nicholas Fenn then British Ambassador to Dublin.

The Irish Times of Wednesday March 22nd carried reports of the denials of an IRA mole by the Garda commissioner as well as similar denials by the chief constable that there was a mole on either side of the Border. The rejection of the 'mole' theory had been made to journalists within 24 hours of the killings.

However while the security services and the politicians rejected suggestions of a mole, the Irish Press report on the day after the killings had claimed.

The Irish Independent at the time reported that the IRA had gambled on the two RUC officers taking the same route back form a meeting in Dundalk Garda station as the route they had followed to Dundalk Garda station.

The Irish Independent also reported northern unionist politician Willie McCrea criticised the British Government saying it "has lost control of the situation".

The newspaper said senior gardaí were “adamant the provos were not tipped off by a mole within their ranks”.

In the following days the newspaper linked the killings to a series of bombings of the Dublin to Belfast railway line. The newspaper said the bombings were disrupting significant commerce between the two cities.

It claimed efforts to stop the bombings and hoax bombings of the rail line had been among the discussions between the murdered RUC officers and the Garda in Dundalk.

The Smithwick Tribunal is inquiring into suggestions that members of An Garda Síochána or other State employees based in Dundalk colluded with the IRA in the killings of Mr Breen and Mr Buchanan.