BRENDAN Dowd was described as a "dedicated and utterly callous terrorist" by Mr Justice Cantley as he gave him a total of 16 life sentences at Manchester Crown Court in 1976.
Dowd (47), onginal from Co Kerry and serving his sentence - at Whitemoor prison, Cambridgeshire, was named at his trial as the IBA's main organiser - in Britain. He was convicted of a number of charges including conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, causing explosions, possession of arms and explosives.
He was arrested in July 1975 in Liverpool after the car he was travelling in with two of his associates jumped the traffic lights. The men had shot at the police officers as they questioned them.
Several months after his trial, Dowd informed the Guildford Four's solicitor's that his active service unit was responsible for the bombings and that the four were innocent.
The Appeal Court judges ruled that the Guildford Four - must have been part of Dowd's active service unit and dismissed their appeal.
Last September, Dowd and four other convicted IBA terrorists won an historic victory at the Court of Appeal in London when a judge condemned the British Home Secretary, Mr Michael Howard, for his "unreasonable and unlawful" treatment of them by delaying their parole rights.
In 1992, Dowd was informed that Mr Justice Cantley had ordered his tariff to be 20 years for "retribution and deterrence."
Although he completed this last July, Mr Howard had refused to refer Dowd's case to the parole board before the 20 year expiry date, ensuring that he spent an extra six months in prison before being able to attend a parole hearing.
In his 26 page landmark ruling, the judge said this delay "frustrates the intention of the sentencing judge who intended that the prisoner should be released at the end of the period unless, at the time, he continues to be a danger to the public."
However, despite this ruling, Dowd's application for parole was rejected earlier this year.