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Commission of Investigation: Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974

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After publication of Justice Henry Barron's report on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the Irish Government established a follow-on Commission of Investigation: Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 to inquire into certain aspects of the Gardaí investigation into the 1974 bombings on 13 May 2005 under Patrick MacEntee SC QC as sole member.

Contents

Interim reports

  • First Interim Report of Commission of Investigation into Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 (November 2005)
  • Second Interim Report of Commission of Investigation into Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 (January 2006)
  • Third Interim Report of Commission of Investigation into Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 (February 2006)
  • Fourth Interim Report of Commission of Investigation into Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 (May 2006)
  • "Interim Report on the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings of 1974 – 19th April 2006". Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. 
  • Fifth Interim Report of Commission of Investigation into Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 (July 2006)
  • Commission of Investigation Into The Dublin and Monaghan Bombings of 1974 – Sixth Interim Report, October 2006
  • Commission of Investigation into The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974 – Seventh Interim Report
  • Commission of Investigation into The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974 – Final Report March 2007

    • Oireachtas reports on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings

  • The Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings – by Justice Henry Barron
  • Final Report on the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings – by Oireachtas Joint Committee
  • The Report of the Independent Commission into the Dublin Bombings of 1972 and 1973 – by Justice Henry Barron
  • Final Report on the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin Bombings of 1972 and 1973 – by Oireachtas Joint Committee

    • Publication

    The McEntee report was published at 5pm on 4 April 2007, after its contents had been given to surviving victims and to the families of those who had been killed by the bombs.

  • Commission of Investigation into The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974 – Final Report March 2007. (April 2007)

    • The Commission Report stated that Garda intelligence failed "to meet an adequate and proper standard" and "The commission considers that it is probable that this serious organisational deficit provided an inadequate standard of support to those Gardaí involved in the criminal investigations." Photograph albums of suspects were missing, including records of the contents. Garda notebooks were "presumed lost, abandoned or destroyed." A finger print was found on a registration plate of the Monaghan bomb car. McEntee observed, "This registration plate is no longer in the possession of the Garda Siochana."

    The Report further stated that it had been hampered by inadequate information provided by the British authorities and by loss of an unknown amount of information in the possession of the Gardaí. McEntee considers that his investigation, like the Barron Inquiry, was limited "by not having access to original security and intelligence documents in the possession of the British Government." The Report said its terms of reference were not wide-ranging enough to allow it to comment further.

    No definitive finding was possible on why the Garda investigations ended in July (Monaghan) and August (Dublin) 1974, due to loss of material, deaths of witnesses, and a practice of "not committing decisions to writing".

    Relatives of those killed said they were disappointed but not surprised by findings.

    References

    Commission of Investigation: Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA