DPP directs no prosecution on historic Belturbet file

SINCE an incident room was set up in Ballyconnell Garda Station in 2022 to investigate the Belturbet Bomb of 50 years previous, only one file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and it resulted in no prosecution, the Celt can exclusively reveal.

Specifically, the single file of evidence was compiled of information on the blowing up of Aghalane Bridge on the main Enniskillen to Dublin Road near Belturbet one month before the town centre bomb, which killed two teenagers, Geraldine O’Reilly (15) from Staghall and Patrick Stanley (16) from Offaly.

The cold-case investigation conducted from Ballyconnell for the past four years has not resulted in any other file directly related to the Belturbet bomb being sent to the DPP, gardaí have confirmed. However, they say their investigation remains "active" and "ongoing".

Geraldine O’Reilly’s family have spoken of their “disappointment” at this latest setback and the lack of sufficient evidence in the case of the Belturbet bomb, which could lead to the prosecution of its perpetrators.

“It’s disappointing, surely,” Anthony O’Reilly, said. “We’ve been waiting for answers for more than 50 years now.

“There was a push there around four years ago and we hoped something might come of that. It’s very disappointing,” said Geraldine's brother.

In their statement to the Celt, An Garda Síochana said: “A file was prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in respect of Aghalane Bridge, which directed no prosecution.”

They were responding to a question from this newspaper about the sharing of information between Irish authorities and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) in the North on 10 Troubles-related deaths.

In their statement, An Garda Síochána said the force “does not generally provide specific updates on any particular element of ongoing investigations” but added how they continue an “active investigation” into the murders of Patrick Stanley and Geraldine O’Reilly.

NO PROSECUTION

On December 28, 1972, three no-warning bombs exploded in the border towns of Belturbet, Co Cavan; Clones, Co Monaghan and Pettigo, Co Donegal, within 49 minutes of each other.

Nobody has ever been convicted of the bombings in which Patrick Stanley (16) from Clara, Co Offaly and Geraldine O’Reilly (15) from Staghall, died in Belturbet and father-of-eight, Patrick McCabe from Clones, died a week later.

Around a month earlier, on November 21, 1972, the UDA, British Army and Special Branch collaborated in the bombing of the cross-border Aghalane Bridge cutting off the main Enniskillen to Dublin Road.

The road was reopened when a temporary bridge was erected from the County Cavan side, but in December, the bomb in nearby Belturbet exploded killing the two young people.

At the time, Chairman of Fermanagh County Council blamed Cavan County Council for the deaths. Captain John Brooke alleged that they had "reopened the bridge", thereby giving "easy access for terrorists".

It has long-been established by authorities on both sides of the border, however, that the bombs in Belturbet, Clones and Pettigo were the work of loyalist terrorists from the North.

Unfortunately, the file compiled for the DPP in relation to Aghalane Bridge was returned and “directed no prosecution”.

The DPP’s decision indicates that the evidence did not meet the threshold required for criminal proceedings.

“The most common reason for the DPP to decide not to prosecute a suspect is lack of evidence,” the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions states on its website.

LEGACY

Cavan-Monaghan TD Brendan Smith has repeatedly raised the Belturbet bombing and other Troubles-related legacy issues in successive Dáils, the most recent of which was last week when he tabled a question to the Department of Foreign Affairs about the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan Bombings. The Co-Chair of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, told the Anglo-Celt that in that role he has also raised with a number of Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland the urgent need to make meaningful progress with investigations and enquiries into different Troubles related atrocities including the Belturbet bombing.

He also emphasised that it is totally unacceptable that families who have lost loved ones in the most awful of circumstances are still awaiting prosecution of the perpetrators of such evil crimes.

Speaking to the Celt, Deputy Smith said he was “glad” that the Garda investigation into Belturbet remains active.

“I don’t know if the DPP is considering more files, but it is my wish, as it has been for many decades, that Gardaí will be successful in identifying those murderers who ended the innocent lives of two teenagers in Belturbet.

“Belturbet, along with other crimes, needs a successful investigation, and that depends on the co-operation of authorities across these islands and jurisdictions,” Deputy Smith said.

ACTIVE INVESTIGATION

The bombings in Belturbet, Clones and Pettigo were believed to be part of a co-ordinated attack. The 100lb Belturbet bomb was placed in a red Ford Escort, and exploded outside Farrelly's Bar and McGowan's Drapery on the Main Street at 10:28pm that night.

At 9:05pm, the stolen red Ford Escort carrying the bomb had been stopped at a Garda checkpoint at Aghalane Bridge coming from Northern Ireland, before being driven into the town centre. Almost 30 minutes later, three men with Northern accents were spotted acting suspiciously close to where the car was parked. Those behind the bombing are believed to have left the area in a Blue Ford Cortina registration number BIA 477 stolen from nearby. It was driven across the border bearing false plates, and later found burnt out in Crumlin, Co Antrim. Anyone with information on the Belturbet explosion which killed two young people is asked to contact: Crimecall 1800 40 50 60, the incident room at Ballyconnell Garda Station on 049 9525580, the Garda confidential line Free-phone on 1800 666111, Crimestoppers on 1800 250025 or Crimestoppers Northern Ireland on 0800 555 111.