Witness recalls argument with suspect

Dublin/Monaghan bombings inquest: A witness has told the inquests into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings that he had an argument with one of the suspects in Parnell Street, Dublin, an hour before the explosion that killed 11 people there.

Mr Séamus Fitzpatrick is believed to be the only witness to have spoken to one of the bombers on the day of the atrocities which killed 34 people in Dublin and Monaghan. He said yesterday gardaí never asked him to view photographs of suspects.

The hearing was told gardaí believed a loyalist paramilitary organisation was responsible.

At 3.30 p.m. on May 17th, 1974, Mr Fitzpatrick parked his car in Parnell Street and walked with his wife, who was seven months pregnant at the time, to Moore Street, the inquest heard. An hour later they returned to their car. Mr Fitzpatrick said he had run slightly ahead of his wife, because he had only put five pence in the parking meter and was concerned that he might get a parking ticket.

When he reached his vehicle he saw there was a man in a double-parked green car waiting to access the space.

"I indicated to him that I was leaving and I put a box of vegetables in the boot, then I looked around and saw that he was becoming agitated.

"My wife was still behind me, she had stalled to look in the window of Tyrrell's butchers."

Mr Fitzpatrick held the door of his car open for his wife to get in and after he shut it, saw that the man seemed even more annoyed.

"I went to remonstrate with him and I had a few words, but he kept his window closed, which I thought was very strange because it was such a hot day. He mumbled something but it was through the glass and I didn't hear his voice."

Mr Fitzpatrick returned to his car and drove away. An hour later the Parnell Street bomb exploded. At 6.30 p.m. Mr Fitzpatrick saw pictures on RTÉ of where the bomb detonated and realised it was where his car had been parked. He drove back to the scene to confirm this, before going to Store Street Garda station to make a statement.

"I remember the incident quite clearly still. I would have been looking at this man for approximately 30 seconds, close up. Even at this remove I would recognise him."

Mr Fitzpatrick said he gave a clear description of the man to gardaí, but was not shown any photographs of suspects or asked to assist with a photo fit picture.

Det Supt John O'Mahony said that, while other suspects were identified through intelligence sources, the man who drove the car bomb into Parnell Street was picked out from photographs.

He was known to be connected with a paramilitary group in Portadown, Det Supt O'Mahony said.