Taoiseach commitment on Belturbet bombing

The Taoiseach noted that the Garda investigation remains “open”, but said: “I will pursue the matter with the British authorities and the authorities in Northern Ireland.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has committed before the Dáil to pursuing both British and Northern Irish authorities for information in relation to the Belturbet bombing 48-years-ago, which claimed the lives two teenagers.

The renewed pressure comes on the heels of the RTÉ investigates ‘Belturbet: A Bomb That Time Forgot’ documentary earlier this week, that highlighted how high-level British security forces failed to act on credible intelligence about Loyalist terrorist activity, and that both British and Irish governments still hold sealed files on the investigation.

Geraldine Reilly (15) was inside Slowey’s chip shop when the 100lb bomb packed into a red Ford Escort and parked near the town’s post office exploded at 10:28pm on December 28, 1972.

Patrick Stanley (16) from Clara, Co Offaly, who also died that night, was in the phone box next to the post office. He was working as a gas delivery assistant and was calling his family to let them know he wouldn’t be home that night.

Its believed Loyalist paramilitaries were responsible for the no-warning bombing.

Yesterday, and in response to questioning by Cavan-Monaghan Fianna Fáil's Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth, the Taoiseach accepted that the families of those who died have “not gotten closure”.

This, he said, involves the British Government but also “non-State actors who continue to stay silent about what they know.”

Mr Martin stated that those involved “need to start living up to their obligations in terms of telling people what they know about heinous crimes of this kind. In this particular case I will do everything I possibly can to see if we can get further answers for the families.”

He thanked the local deputies for raising the matter, describing the bombing, one of three similar attacks that same night to include also Clones and Pettigo, as “a reprehensible crime”.

He noted that the Garda investigation remains “open”, but said: “I will pursue the matter with the British authorities and the authorities in Northern Ireland.”

Later yesterday evening, Deputy Smith also received speaking time to raise the Belturbet bombing as a topical matter for discussion.