Decades after the car bombs claimed the lives of three young bus workers in Dublin's Sackville Place the inquest into the tragedy was today again adjourned.
Dublin City Coroner's Court heard that Justice for the Forgotten, which has campaigned for the deaths caused by the Troubles to be recognised, was still awaiting an independent report from Justice Barron into the early 1970s bombings.
The group said the families of bus conductor Thomas Douglas, 21, from Scotland, bus driver George Bradshaw, 30, of Fethard in Co Tipperary and Tommy Duffy, 23, had been waiting more than 30 years for the inquest.
Ms Margaret Irwin, a spokeswoman for Justice for the Forgotten, said the families had not travelled this time as they knew it would have to be adjourned.
Mr Cormac O'Dulachain, barrister for the group, told the Dublin City Coroner's Court that it was "very unsatisfactory".
"The inquests were very much delayed, we are now concerned and deeply suspicious as to why they (The Barron Report) have not been published under the circumstances, they have had it three months," he said.
Mr O'Dulachain said the Government had told him the report, which it received in June, would be published in September, then October and it still had not appeared.
"It is extraordinary that it has been going on for so long and no firm date for publishing has been forthcoming," he said. Several decades later, no one has claimed responsibility for the car bombs at Sackville Place, just off Dublin's O'Connell Street, which killed the men and injured dozens of other people.
Dr Brian Farrell, the coroner, said: "I think the inquest is nothing to do with the Barron report but it would be of assistance to the coroner's court."
He set a date for mid-February of next year.
The bombings happened on the evening of December 1, 1972 the ministers in the Dail were debating an amendment to the Offences Against the State Act.
The crowd heard as the ministers considered the legislation to take stronger measures against terrorists a bomb exploded at 7.58 p.m. at Liberty Hall. No one was killed but dozens were injured.
Another car bomb then exploded at 8.15 p.m. killing Mr Bradshaw and Mr Duffy. The anti-terrorist law was then pushed through the following morning and a third bomb then exploded on Saturday January 20, 1973 in Sackville Place claiming the life of Mr Douglas.
PA