Ahern to press Blair on bombings probe

The Taoiseach Mr Ahern tonight indicated he would put pressure on the British government to speed up its co-operation with the…

The Taoiseach Mr Ahern tonight indicated he would put pressure on the British government to speed up its co-operation with the inquiry into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, which killed 33 people.

Mr Ahern told the Dáil he would urge British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, to arrange a meeting between a judge investigating the atrocities and Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid.

Meanwhile, bereaved families and survivors of the bombings gathered in Dublin as part of a campaign to compel Britain into handing over documents to the independent commission led by Mr Justice Henry Barron.

Campaign group Justice for the Forgotten complained that nine months after the judge formally requested security papers and other documents from the British authorities, it has had no information.

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Members of the group want to know how and why their loved ones died on May 17, 1974 when three car bombs exploded in Dublin, killing 26 people, just minutes before a fourth blast in Monaghan killed seven more.

The attacks caused the biggest loss of life in a single day of the Troubles, and speculation has persisted over the years that British intelligence services colluded with Loyalist paramilitaries to plant the bombs. No one has ever been arrested in connection with the blasts.

At the meeting at Trinity College, group chairwoman Ms Bernie MacNally said: "The families have been waiting for more than 27 years to find out what happened.

"I hope that the message goes out tonight to Mr Tony Blair that it is high time that he gave regard to our human rights."

The meeting also heard from The Irish Times'journalist and eyewitness Mr Vincent Brown, who told of the scene of devastation after the bombs exploded in Dublin.

And the youngest survivor of the attacks, Mr Garrett Mussen, gave an account of how he cheated death on the day.

Last week it was announced that Dr Reid would meet Mr Justice Barron to discuss the handing over of documents.

But with still no date set, Mr Ahern told the Dáil today he would speak to Mr Blair about the matter during a British-Irish Council summit in Dublin on November 30th.

PA