The following is a description, as detailed in the Cory Report, of the final movements of Lord and Lady Gibson as they returned to Northern Ireland from a holiday trip to England in April 1987.
"It is unfortunate, but it must be observed that on the occasion of this holiday there were really no security precautions taken by the Gibsons. Tickets were purchased and the reservations were made in their own name, and they freely discussed with strangers the time of their proposed return to Ireland on the Liverpool to Dublin ferry. Their arrangements were known by many and their plans, including the time they expected to reach the border, could have been ascertained with relative ease.
The Liverpool to Dublin ferry and journey from Dublin to the border
Detective Garda Mostyn and Detective Garda Shovlin were the officers assigned to escort the Gibsons to the border. They were aware that the Gibsons were scheduled to disembark at 7.00am Detective Garda Mostyn went on board the ferry to meet the Gibsons. Lord Justice Gibson explained that they wished to go straight to the border where they were expected to arrive between 8.30am and 9.00am. He asked Detective Garda Mostyn to lead the way in the unmarked Garda car. This was because his wife, who would be driving their blue Ford Escort, was not familiar with the streets of Dublin.
The officers led the way out of Dublin. On the main Dublin to Belfast road they permitted Mrs Gibson to pass them and they then followed her. They noticed that there was another car with three young women in it who overtook them. They saw this car at the border crossing close to the Gibsons' car.
When the cars arrived at the Customs post at Dromad, Mrs Gibson stopped their car and Lord Justice Gibson got out. He came back to the Garda car and shook hands with the officers and thanked them for their assistance. The officers said that they would follow him to the border. The officers watched the Gibsons drive across the border. They then drove back to the Dromad Customs post and, just as they reached it, heard a loud bang. They looked behind and saw a lot of smoke, and immediately drove their car back to the border. There they saw the column of smoke and then went directly to the Dromad Garda Station, where they reported what had happened.
It must be noted that the Garda officers kept radio silence from the time they reached the ferry dock until they completed their duties at the border and returned to report the column of smoke.
The explosion
The explosion took place on the main Dublin to Belfast road, in the northbound lane, some 100 metres north of the Kinney Mills road, and 400 metres north of the border. It created a large crater, about 10 feet x 20 feet and 6 feet deep. Investigating officers thought that, at the moment of the explosion, the Gibsons were on their way to the rendezvous point to meet the RUC escort that was to take them to Belfast.
Following the explosion three vehicles were found close to the crater. The burnt-out shell of a Ford Cortina was found in the south-bound lane. It was identified by its registration number.
This car was owned by Mr Peter Tomany of Jonesborough, who had reported it stolen on 12 March 1987. The explosive device had been attached to this vehicle, and it would appear that the force of the explosion had blown it from its original position on the north-bound shoulder of the road to its ultimate location in the south-bound lane facing south. Investigators estimated that approximately 450-500 pounds of home-made explosive had been planted in the Ford Cortina, and detonated by radio control.
The Gibsons' car, very badly damaged by the explosion and ensuing fire, had also been blown across the road. It too was facing south in the south-bound lane.
A Mini Metro was located on the shoulder of the north-bound lane.
Mr James Donnelly was the owner of a Texaco filling station, shop and off-licence store which was located on the east side of the highway, not far from the site of the explosion. He did not notice the stolen blue Cortina when he opened his station around 8.00am. However, he did see it at about
He described it simply as a dark-coloured car but he could not identify the manufacturers nor did he see its licence number. He said that at about 8.40am or 8.35am there was a massive explosion. It was he who phoned for the ambulance, giving his location and advising of the explosion. He could see that there was a Ford Escort on fire. He also observed that there were three boys in another wrecked car in the middle of the road. As well, he saw that there were two or three girls in the Metro car who appeared to be injured.
Many years later an intelligence report was received that indicated that the bomb-carrying car was driven to its position at around 8.15 in the morning.
The effect of the violent explosion and the ensuing fire was such that they not only caused the instantaneous death of Lord and Lady Gibson, but made it impossible to visually identify them. That was only accomplished by reference to their dental records.
At the time of the explosion, the RUC officers who were to meet the Gibsons in Northern Ireland and escort them to their home in Belfast, were approaching the designated rendezvous point. One of the officers, who had served as the permanent escort to the Gibsons for the preceding three years, stated that he believed that the Judge and his wife would not be crossing the border until approximately 8.45am As the two RUC officers were approaching Newry, they were told of the explosion. They hurried to the scene and notified the RUC officers in the area.
The RUC determined that the bomb had been triggered by a radio signal. This means that the individual or persons who set off the explosion must have been in a position to see the Gibsons' car as it approached the site and must have been able to make a rough estimate of its speed. Yet there were no sightings of strangers, either individuals or groups, who were thought to be acting strangely or in a suspicious manner. Nor were there any reports of vehicles being driven in an unusual or suspicious manner close to the site of the explosion before it was detonated."