Sir, - The juxtaposition of Rosin Ingle's feature on Irish regiments within the British Army (The Irish Times, May 15th) with a small reference to the commemoration of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings was perverse. Journalists and film-makers such as myself have presented compelling evidence in recent times that members of the British army, including the locally recruited Ulster Defence Regiment, were involved in the preparation and execution of these attacks.
The first list of suspects in the Dublin and Monaghan bombs case comprised several serving UDR personnel. My film for Prime Time ("Friendly Forces") was based partly on testimony from former members of the RUC and UDR who outlined the role of serving British soldiers in one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles.
We all know, or should know, that it doesn't stop there. The extent of UDR involvement in the Miami showband massacre emerged when some of the perpetrators blew themselves up in the attack. The list of murders, attempted murders and conspiracies to murder goes right through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s despite name-changes and attempts by British army top brass to clean things up. Does anybody remember Loughlin McGinn or Terence McDaid, both murdered with the active connivance of UDR members? My film for the BBC's Spotlight programme looked at the murder of Terence McDaid and others and found that the provision of information to loyalist paramilitaries by UDR members at Girdwood Barracks in Belfast was a routine occurrence. The absence of reference to any of these issues in Roisin Ingle's report beggars belief.
The Ulster Defence Regiment has now become the Royal Irish Regiment and sees fit to invite selected journalists to virtual war-games. Unfortunately for the victims of this discredited regiment, the war games were anything but virtual. This the real reason that Catholics and nationalists refuse to join up. - Yours, etc.,
Paul Larkin, Haroldsville Avenue, Rialto, Dublin.