Request not to give out name ignored

Some members of the media ignored a Garda request not to name John Carthy in reports which were broadcast during the siege, the sub-committee was told. The Garda press officer, Supt John Farrelly, said he was aware Mr Carthy could have been listening to the radio and television during the siege.

"The biggest endeavour I was to take on was that John Carthy would not be named in any way in any reports. In any reports, nothing would be named in relation to his condition."

He said the media had access to local people and could have found this information out very quickly. However, he told certain reporters of Mr Carthy's medical condition, to emphasise why he should not be named.

Supt Farrelly had been invited to speak on RTE's Five Seven Live radio programme. When he got into the satellite van, he was told that RTE was going to name Mr Carthy.

"I told the reporter . . . Niall O'Flynn, that I did not want them to name John Carthy. I told them the reasons why, as I had been saying all along, and I objected to it." The report ignored his advice but Supt Farrelly still deemed it prudent to be interviewed after it, as there might have been an opportunity to reassure Mr Carthy.

Mr Michael Moynihan TD pointed out that Mr Carthy fired shots which coincided with the news bulletins of 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Supt Farrelly said any interviews he gave were done with a view to reassuring Mr Carthy. "I did the interviews on the basis that I would reassure him, if he had been listening and that was the theme in relation to all interviews that I conducted right through to the next day."

He had mentioned in an interview that there were about 60 gardai in the area but said they were not all there at the same time. However, some media reports carried this information in a way which may have made Mr Carthy believe the house was surrounded by 60 gardai.

Questioned about his decision to take members of the media to the scene, he said it was preferable to do this in a "controlled way" rather than having people encroaching on the scene. They were taken to within 100 yards of the scene for about 10 minutes. It was the only time they were there, he said.

The inquiry continues today