Inquests into the deaths of three men killed in car-bombings in Dublin 31 years ago will be formally reopened today at Dublin City Coroner's Court.
The CIÉ workers were killed in two separate explosions at Sackville Place on December 1st, 1972 and January 20th, 1973.
In a symbolic gesture, members of the Justice for the Forgotten campaign and relatives of Mr George Bradshaw, from Fethard, Co Tipperary, Mr Thomas Duffy, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, and Mr Thomas Douglas, from Stirling, Scotland, will walk together from the campaign group's headquarters in Gardiner Street to the Coroner's Court in Store Street.
Mr Bradshaw and Mr Duffy were killed in Sackville Place on December 1st 1972 on the third night of the Dáil debate on the introduction of emergency security powers, the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Bill.
Mr Douglas, a CIÉ bus conductor, from Stirling, Scotland, whose mother came from Achill island, died in the explosion on January 20th 1973. He had been in Ireland for about five months.
Justice for the Forgotten has lobbied for the reopening of the inquests, which were adjourned in 1973 without a resumption date. The group has also campaigned for inquiries into these bombings and the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of May 1974, in which 27 people were killed. Its secretary, Ms Margaret Urwin, said yesterday: "We are very pleased with the reopening of the inquests even though it will be traumatic for the families."
The inquest into the deaths of the 26 people in Dublin and one in Monaghan were formally reopened last month by the Dublin City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell.
Today's hearing is likely to be brief and will involve making arrangements for the resumption and full hearing of the inquests, expected later this year.
