THE GARDA Chief Superintendent in charge of the Louth Division has told the Smithwick Tribunal he would be “very surprised” if there was an IRA “mole” in Dundalk Garda station when two RUC officers were murdered after leaving there in 1989.
Chief Supt Patrick Magee said he had no information to support claims of Garda collusion in the murders of Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan. Security concerns about any garda would have been dealt with urgently, he said.
Dundalk was a very difficult place in those years, he said. He himself was the victim of a shooting incident there in 1985 while 13 gardaí in Dundalk held the Scott Medal, awarded to those who showed exceptional bravery.
Dundalk had moved on in “a very positive way” since those “dark days of the ’80s”, he said.
The tribunal is inquiring into suggestions of Garda collusion in the murders of RUC Chief Supt Breen and his driver Supt Buchanan in an IRA ambush shortly after they left a meeting in Dundalk Garda station.
Three serving gardaí at that time – retired Sgt Leo Colton, former Sgt Finbarr Hickey and retired Det Owen Corrigan – have all denied collusion.
Yesterday, Chief Supt Magee said he knew all three and would have regarded Mr Hickey as a “harmless” and “timid” person while Mr Colton seemed “very professional” and ran his unit well. Mr Corrigan seemed “very active in the fight against subversives” and was the garda who handed over Dominic McGlinchey to the RUC.
He was aware Mr Corrigan was abducted and beaten in 1995 but did not hear anything about the reasons for that, he added.
Retired Det Garda Michael O’Driscoll said he regarded the collusion claims as “the ramblings of some journalist”. Mr O’Driscoll, who was stationed in Dundalk in 1989, said he regarded Finbarr Hickey as “a pure gentleman” who was “very quiet” with a “lacklustre” approach to his work.
Leo Colton “ran a good unit” and he got on fine with him, he said. He found Owen Corrigan “friendly and respectful”.
He had worked in Dundalk with a garda who was subject to an arson attack while other members were shot, maimed and murdered by the IRA, he said.
There would be “zero tolerance” in the station for anyone who colluded with the IRA, he added.
Retired Det Fintan Kenny, also based in Dundalk station in 1989, said he was unaware of any basis for the theory there was an IRA mole in the station.
