A lawyer acting for five men who were members of the Official IRA in 1972 came forward to the Bloody Sunday inquiry today offering a "positive and possibly very, very significant impact" on proceedings.
Barrister Gareth Purvis made a preliminary approach on behalf of the five, said to include the gunman witnessed by retired Catholic Bishop of Derry, Dr Edward Daly, shooting from a pistol that day almost three decades ago.
The Officer Commanding of the organisation - the forerunner to the now-dominant Provisionals - and his adjutant or intelligence officer were also among the party, who all wanted to give evidence anonymously, like most of the soldiers lined up to testify to the Tribunal.
All five were present in Derry's Bogside on January 30 1972, when Army Paratroopers opened fire after a civil rights demonstration, killing 13 Catholic men, said Mr Purvis.
The development followed a public appeal on Thursday from all the bereaved and injured to all potential witness to come forward, however unpalatable their evidence. That call was issued after Tribunal Chairman Lord Saville expressed frustration at the "quandary" created by witness silence over questions about IRA activity on Bloody Sunday.
Counsel to the Inquiry Christopher Clarke QC told today's sitting in the Guildhall, Derry, that solicitor to the Inquiry John Tate was approached by an intermediary for three of the men, on Thursday.
Mr Purvis said the approach from all five was being led by a witness known only as Pin 437, alleged at the tribunal last year to have information about IRA gunfire in the Bogside on Bloody Sunday. He has been fighting to conceal his identity since June.
Mr Purvis said: "The persons referred to want to make a positive and I would suggest a very very significant impact into these proceedings.
"It is very likely, Sir, that they can do that, but they do have concerns."
Their fears were the same as those already raised by Pin 437, who has argued that revealing his identity would place his life at risk from both republican and loyalist terrorists. He added later: "I have no information as to the evidence they would seek to give to the tribunal."
Lord Saville spoke of "difficulties" in the case of 437, whose case is being reconsidered by the Tribunal after it initially refused him anonymity.
It ruled then that his request carried over into journalistic records deemed to be fairly central and important to the subject matter of the inquiry. But Mr Purvis said later: "I would say simply that the document will pale in significance compared to the evidence that these five men in total could provide.
"In many ways it would be a distinction or difference that I would hope would be overcome and would not provide a major obstacle in splitting the group."
He expected progress in the matter over the next three weeks.
Meanwhile, a witness relented to the tribunal by telling it who he believed was gunman spotted by both himself and Dr Daly.
William Harley, 65, who last week refused to name the gunman had the name written on a piece of paper - but it was not uttered in the chamber.
However, asked if it was Tony Rush - as identified by another witness last week - he replied: "No".
The inquiry was adjourned until 9.30 a.m. tomorrow.
PA