Omagh Inquiry resumes
Cillian Sherlock and Rebecca Black, Belfast Telegraph, June 24th, 2025
PSNI DISCLOSING INFORMATION TO INQUIRY 'AS QUICKLY AS IT CAN'
INQUIRY ALSO HEARD FROM FORMER CHIEF CONSTABLE WHO SAID SORRY OVER SPAT WITH OMBUDSMAN
IRISH GOVT URGED TO LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISES
The PSNI is disclosing information to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry “as quickly as it can”, its legal team has said.
The pledge came after the overall pace of disclosure to the proceedings was deemed not to be fast enough by the inquiry's counsel.
The inquiry also heard from counsel for former chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan that he is sorry for the impact a public spat he had with the then police ombudsman over a critical report had on the bomb victims.
Yesterday afternoon, it heard from one of the lawyers who represent some of the bomb survivors and bereaved families who urged the Irish Government to live up to its promises in relation to assisting the inquiry.
The Real IRA bomb in the Co Tyrone town in August 1998 killed 29 people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, in the worst single atrocity in the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The public inquiry was set up by the previous UK Government to examine whether the explosion could have been prevented by the UK authorities.
New PSNI Team to assist
Philip Henry KC, for the PSNI, said that the police service had implemented a new team for the Omagh Bombing Inquiry review, adding that the organisation offers its sincere condolences to those who lost loved ones in the atrocity and its deepest sympathy to all those affected.
However, he said there were significant challenges and limitations associated with old, outdated and non-interconnected information technology systems as well as paper records.
As an example, he said an electronic system that stores criminal investigation papers on the Omagh Bombing holds 26,000 documents of varying length and 2,000 exhibits.
In addition, he said the “magnitude of the request” by the inquiry to provide material in connection with 31 previous attacks and attempted attacks from 25 years ago is “a huge undertaking”.
“It is important to emphasise that the PSNI is not offering this as an excuse.
“Rather, it is a candid explanation of what is involved, so that expectations are realistic as to how quickly it is possible to reliably meet the inquiry's requirements.
“The PSNI recognises that any periods of delay can cause frustration.
“However, the PSNI must also do the work properly — and it is being done as quickly as it can, and in good faith.”
Mr Henry outlined how it took over three months for three highly trained sensitive researchers to investigate the first three of 31 previous incidents identified by the inquiry.
It was believed it would have delayed inquiry proceedings by several years if the PSNI did not allocate additional resources to the process.
PSNI has more than 1,100 other Legacy related cases
While the PSNI is also dealing with more than 1,100 other pieces of legacy-related litigation, it decided to reassign all its sensitive researchers who were working on other cases to join the work on the 31 previous incidents for a period of six months.
He said this “exceptional step” was done in the knowledge that it may impact on work on other legacy-related cases.
Mr Henry said it will not be possible for the PSNI to disclose all information in an open, public format but said the service would apply for restriction orders only to protect the public interest or national security and to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights.
Sir Ronnie Flanagan
Later, counsel for Sir Ronnie Flanagan also said it remains of personal and professional regret to him that no-one was ever brought to justice.
During an opening statement on behalf of Sir Ronnie, Ian Skelt KC detailed some of the lengths he had gone to, including contacting Nasa to ask if they had any footage of the area.
Sir Ronnie was chief constable of the RUC at the time of the bomb and had weekly meetings with then secretary of state Mo Mowlam to discuss security.
Mr Skelt said Sir Ronnie has “consistently pledged his commitment to engaging positively with this inquiry to ensure it provides answers to those most affected, namely the survivors and the next of kin of those who lost their lives”.
He went on to describe how Sir Ronnie is sorry for the impact of his row with then Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan in 2001 after she produced a critical report around the police investigation into the Omagh bomb.
At the time, Sir Ronnie responded by saying he would resign and “commit suicide in public” if the multiple failures highlighted in the ombudsman's report were true.
Mr Skelt told the inquiry that Sir Ronnie regrets his “ill-judged emotive statement”.
“Sir Ronnie has heard the evidence during the personal statement hearings that the public dispute between him and the then Police Ombudsman was unwelcome and distracted from the focus being on the victims and their loss, this was not his intention. He is sorry for causing upset,” he said.
“All he can say now is back then when the ombudsman's report was released, he felt very strongly about its content and considered it important to ensure the public had accurate information about the police investigation of the Omagh bombing.
“Following the release of what he considered to be an inaccurate Police Ombudsman report, Sir Ronnie acknowledges the making of an ill-judged emotive statement in response to a journalist's question asking him if he would resign if the report was accurate.
“Having very quickly recognised that it was a crass response, Sir Ronnie immediately issued an apology.”
Mr Skelt also outlined some of the measures taken in the police investigation into the bomb which included contacting the then director of the FBI to ask whether there was any possibility of library footage from Nasa, the FBI, CIA or any other US agency of the Omagh area at the time of the bombing.
“This is an example of the lengths he [Sir Ronnie] went to ensure even the most remote avenues of investigation were explored,” he said.
Opening statements are set to continue this morning.
OMAGH VICTIMS RECALLED
Irish Times, June 24th, 2025
James Barker
(12) James was an “outgoing, caring and a very fun-loving child” who “always had a positive and happy demeanour” and was looking forward to starting a new school that September, his father said.
He loved sport, including golf, caddying for his father, and playing football with Spanish exchange student, Fernando Blasco Baselga. James said he “wanted to become a lawyer when he grew up so he could take over my firm and give me a rest”.
Fernando Blasco Baselga
(12) Fernando had lots of friends – at school, in his neighbourhood in Madrid, Spain, and in his mountaineering group. One of seven siblings, his family described him as a “good, happy and generous child” who got along well with everyone.
He liked handball and played on his school team, and loved to eat, especially his favourite rice salad. When asked in his catechism group what was important to him, he replied: “To reach heaven.”
Geraldine Breslin
(43) Geraldine was “naturally a smiley, happy, bubbly person”, her son said, with “a laugh that made you want to be in her presence”.
She had a close bond with her only son, who she brought up as a single parent. She worked in the ladies’ department in Watterson’s in Omagh town centre, a job she loved.
She married her husband in 1995, and they were “totally in love with each other, devoted to one another”.
Debra-Ann Cartwright
(20) Debra-Ann was from Birchwood in Omagh and a former pupil of Omagh High School, where she was involved in cross-community work and visited Denmark on a student exchange.
She was working in a beauty salon in the town centre and was awaiting her A-level results to see if she had achieved the grades to study textile design in Manchester. Her results, which arrived on the day of her funeral, confirmed she had been successful.
Gareth Conway
(18) Gareth was “a diligent, conscientious and humble young man” who left a “legacy of love, hard work and quiet strength”, his sister said.
He loved dogs and woodwork – he built a replica of the village chapel out of clothes pegs – and played soccer and Gaelic football.
He had recently been accepted to study engineering at university, and was “very happy and looking forward to the next stage in his life”.
Breda Devine
(20 months) Breda was born three months prematurely but “clung to life” and grew into a healthy little girl. One of four siblings from Donemana, Co Tyrone, she was due to be a flower girl at her uncle’s wedding.She was “a special child who struggled bravely against all the odds”, the parish priest told mourners at her funeral.
Oran Doherty
(8) Oran, the fifth child of seven from Buncrana, Co Donegal, was “a great, funny wee boy” who was “full of life”, his mother said. “He was fun-loving, happy-go-lucky and he loved football.
“He also loved to go fishing with his daddy, his older brother and his friends.
“He had written one time that when he grew up he wanted to play for Celtic [FC] or be a shopkeeper.”
Aiden Gallagher
(21) Aiden was, from a young age, interested in “anything mechanical he used to take apart his toys and rebuild them”, his father said. He had a strong work ethic, becoming involved in the family repair business in Omagh, and was at college studying car body repair. His sharp wit and sense of humour meant he made friends easily; he hated bullying or inequality, and often stood up for the most vulnerable.
Esther Gibson
(36) Esther was engaged to be married and was “looking forward to a future filled with hope and happiness”. The eldest of five sisters, she grew up on the family farm in Beragh, Co Tyrone, where she learned a “strong sense of duty and compassion that would characterise her life”, her family said.
A Sunday school teacher, she belonged to Sixmilecross Free Presbyterian Church and found “joy and purpose” in her Christian faith.
Mary Grimes
(66) Mary grew up on a farm in Co Cork before training to be a nurse and then a midwife. A mother of 11, she had “a strong Catholic faith, a strong work ethic and a deep sense of family values”, her family said. “No one was ever turned away from her door in Deroar [in Beragh, Co Tyrone], and no one left without a cup of tea or some of her beautiful currant bread or apple tart.”
Olive Hawkes
(60) Olive was “very much a hands-on farmer’s wife” who “also loved her style, and therefore shopping trips to Omagh were a regular occurrence”, her daughter said. The treasurer of Mayne Methodist Church for more than 25 years, she was also an active member of the Women’s Institute, a great baker and loved gardening. “There was always laughter in our home,” her daughter said. “She was the glue that made our family so close.”
Julia Hughes
(21) Julia was her twin brother Justin’s “biggest ally in life, and I was hers”.
Born four minutes apart, they spent their schooling “exchanging homework I did one subject, Julia the other.”
“Julia was small, but a fire burned in her heart. She was feisty when she needed to be,” especially when playing goalie for her school hockey team. She was studying accountancy at Dundee; each year, the university awards a prize in her memory.
Brenda Logue
(17) Brenda was a “sweet-natured girl” who was “her own person”, her family said, so much so that she successfully persuaded her school to allow girls to wear trousers as part of their uniform. She was a leader in her local youth club and hoped to become a PE teacher. Brenda was a talented Gaelic footballer who played for Tyrone at senior level, and a number of trophies are still awarded in her memory.
Jolene Marlow
(17) Jolene was “a special child” from the moment she was born, her mother said, and was looking forward to a bright future. Academically successful and a keen Gaelic footballer and camogie player, she represented both her school and her parish, helping St Macartan’s to win their first ever county final. “With her desire to become a sports physiotherapist, she had a zest for life and to do well.”
Ann McCombe
(48) Ann and her husband Stanley celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 1998. “Ann was a wonderful and very caring person and I suppose that is why I fell in love with her,” he said. She worked in Watterson’s clothes shop in the centre of Omagh and was “a very good Christian and loved her church”.
“She was the kindest-hearted person that I have ever known, and she cared for everybody.”
Brian McCrory
(54) Brian was his family’s “gentle giant”. He worked in the family business, driving his beloved crane, nicknamed “Crafty Catherine”, and “loved taking photographs”, so much so that he became the designated photographer at family events. Described as hard-working, with a strong faith, and dedicated to his family, he had “a beautiful, warm, open smile that made you feel comfortable and safe”, his daughter said.
Samantha McFarland
(17) Samantha was the youngest of three children from Hospital Road, Omagh, and was studying for her A-levels at Strabane College. She was learning to drive, loved music and books and her pet pony. She enjoyed geography and was curious about the world. She volunteered as a shop assistant in Oxfam in Omagh on Saturdays along with her best friend Lorraine Wilson and had “a genuine kindness that people were drawn to”, her family said.
Sean McGrath
(61) Sean was “considerate, gentle, kind to a fault and completely supportive”, his daughter said. He treasured his family, and the only thing that made him cross was injustice. He grew up above the family grocer’s shop on Market Street in Omagh, and as a boy loved going to see Westerns in the nearby cinema. He loved making deals, and even convincing Harrods to sell a selection of traditional Irish breads made in his bakery business.
Shaun McLaughlin
(12) Shaun weighed only 5½lb when he was born and almost did not survive, but made a full recovery and grew into a strong and healthy boy. He “liked playing football with his friends and cycling and doing things that young boys do”, his mother said, and played football for his local club. “Shaun was a lively, lovely boy, he was always happy and content, he always found something to smile about.”
Alan Radford
(16) Alan was “a ray of sunshine” with “the purest heart, heart of gold” and was “so loving, so compassionate” with everybody, his sister said. He helped his mother with the grocery shopping in Omagh every week, took her to see the film Titanic, and even helped his neighbours cut their lawns despite an allergy to grass. His GCSE results arrived days after his death and he had been due to go to catering college.
Rocio Abad Ramos
(23) Rocio was an extrovert who was always laughing and smiling, and was “felt as somebody special” by her family. One of three sisters from Madrid, Spain, she excelled at sport – at 18, she was the Spanish long-jump champion – and in her studies; she won a scholarship to university and wanted to become a teacher.
She had visited Buncrana, Co Donegal, on five consecutive summers to learn English. She loved Ireland and its culture.
Elizabeth (Libby) Rush
(57) Libby had a business on Market Street in Omagh which was first a coffee shop, then sold furniture and gifts, including cushions and soft furnishings she made herself.
Compassionate and respectful, she was well known as a “good listener”, her daughter said. She and her husband Laurence met at a dance when they were 14. “Private and humble, Libby was, and still is, the moral compass we set our own lives by.”
Veda Short
(56) Veda “loved and adored” her four children and eight grandchildren, and visiting “Nanny’s house” was a ritual every Sunday.
She was active in her church and was a member of the Women’s Institute, and she and her husband loved playing bowls in the church hall.
A manager at Watterson’s clothes shop on Market Street in Omagh, she took her lunch late every day so her staff could have theirs first.
Philomena (Mena) Skelton
(39) Mena’s life was dedicated to two things: knitting and family, her husband said. She loved Catherine Cookson books, and could knit at the same time without dropping a stitch; she knitted Aran jumpers for Magee’s in Donegal town, which were subsequently sold to America.
The year before the bombing, the mother of three daughters and a son began the family tradition of inviting a child from Romania to stay with them each summer.
Bryan White
(27) Bryan was “the type of person, no matter of his own personal views and values, he never judged anyone”, his sister said.
He had a job in Strabane that involved working with people with disabilities, and “from this job he really learned to see the strengths in people rather than their weaknesses”.
“He had just been promoted and was due to start a new job in Omagh the week of the bomb.”
Fred White
(65) Fred was “somebody who always had time for people, never mind how busy he was, and he was usually very busy”, his daughter said.
He worked in the accounts department of the Western Education Board, but retired in 1989 following a brain haemorrhage, and spent his time working in the house and garden. He enjoyed gardening and woodwork – and in various community organisations.
“Fred was my rock and I loved him dearly,” his wife said.
Lorraine Wilson
(15) Lorraine was “an easy-going person who genuinely loved life, and she always put other people first”, her family said.
She loved cooking, even making the family dinner after school, and while she was “a real home bird”, she also “always wanted to travel, and talked about being an air stewardess or chef and travelling the world”.
“She was always thinking of what she wanted to do and what she hoped to achieve in life.”
Avril Monaghan
(30) Avril was the “proud mother” of four children, with two more on the way. At their home in Augher, Co Tyrone, she created a “warm and nurturing environment” for her growing family, as well as working as an accounts clerk at a business in Omagh. She “approached life with a can-do attitude”, her daughter said. “No matter what the challenge, she faced it, and was never one to dwell on the negatives.”
Maura Monaghan (20 months)
Maura had “a joyful nature” and “charmed everyone with her lively energy, always clapping her hands and flashing a smile”, her sister said. “Her bubbly personality and unmistakable head of curly hair made her stand out and she lit up every room she entered”, so it was no surprise when she took first prize in a Bonny Baby competition. She was “a source of light and joy to our family and everyone around her”.
Eimear and Evelyn Monaghan
Avril Monaghan’s unborn babies were due in October 1998. A picture of the twins taken during an ultrasound scan was shown to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, and their sister said: “They would be named Eimear and Evelyn, two little girls who our family were extremely excited to meet. The pictures of the scan are the reminder of the many futures that never became a reality following the bomb on August 15th, 1998.”
Slow ‘pace of disclosure’ leads to Omagh bombing inquiry delay
Public part of process resumed on Monday for two days after four-month break but will then adjourn until March 2026
Freya McClements, Irish Times, June 24th, 2025
The public inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing will not begin examining the atrocity itself until next year due to the “pace of disclosure”, a senior lawyer has said.
In opening remarks on Monday, Paul Greaney KC, senior counsel to the inquiry, said he had “hoped and expected to be further advanced than we are”.
He said chapter three of the inquiry, which “will consider the bombing itself”, would commence in March of next year.
“That gap of nine months between Chapter Two and Chapter Three is unfortunate, in our view, and is a further consequence of the pace of disclosure to the inquiry,” Mr Greaney said.
“The speed of disclosure to the inquiry by material providers must increase, and that is why we repeat the need for the state core participants and indeed all material providers to work at pace to fulfil the requirements of the inquiry and to ensure that the necessary resources, both human and financial, are dedicated to that work.”
A total of 31 people, including unborn twins, died and hundreds were injured when a car bomb planted by the dissident republican group the Real IRA exploded in the centre of Omagh on August 15th, 1998.
The inquiry, which opened last year, was ordered by the UK government in the wake of a court judgement to examine whether the atrocity could reasonably have been prevented by British state authorities.
During a four-week sitting in the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh earlier this year, the inquiry heard emotional testimony from bereaved relatives who delivered pen portraits of their loved ones, as well as from the injured and first responders.
Show victims justice is still possible
It resumed on Monday for two days to hear opening statements from core participants to the inquiry. The core participants include the bereaved and injured and state authorities including the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Northern Secretary.
Stephen Toal KC, representing the families of five of the victims of the bombing – Brenda Logue, Gareth Conway, Breda Devine, Fernando Blasco Baselga and Veda Short – and 11 survivors – appealed to all those involved to “let this inquiry be worthy” of them.
“Let it show that even after horror, justice is possible. Even after decades of silence, the truth can still be heard,” he said.
Mr Toal was critical of both the Irish and British governments, saying “talk is cheap”
“They make warm statements about solidarity, but these families have learned to measure words against deeds,” he said.
In an opening statement on behalf of the PSNI, Philip Henry KC outlined the work done thus far by the police and emphasised it had “consistently demonstrated its commitment to assisting the inquiry.”
He said the volume of work involved to provide the required documents and evidence to the inquiry was “considerable” and not only has the PSNI established a new team to do so, but it has taken the “unprecedented step of temporarily reassigning every suitably qualified member of staff capable of researching sensitive materials from the 1990s” to work on the inquiry for a six-month period.
The examination of sensitive materials can only be undertaken by specialist researchers and was “painstaking work”, the barrister said, adding there were also challenges in gathering information from 25 years ago.
None of this was an excuse, Mr Henry said, but rather “a candid explanation of what is involved, so that expectations are realistic about how quickly it is possible to reliably meet the inquiry’s requirements.”
Fiona Fee KC, representing the Northern Secretary, also outlined the efforts made regarding disclosure by UK government agencies, including intelligence services, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).
She said a “considerable volume of work” has already been undertaken, and that continues “at pace”, but added that there was a “vast volume of material which must be collated, carefully reviewed and provided to the inquiry.”
In regard to “the UK intelligence community [Ukic],” Ms Fee said, “there is only a very limited amount that can be said in open in respect of [its] disclosure, however Ukic have engaged meaningfully with the inquiry from a very early stage, assisting the inquiry with relevant materials in advance of any formal … requests.”
At the NIO there was a “small but dedicated team working tirelessly on identifying and disclosing potentially relevant material,” she said.
Series of public inquiries on Troubles incidents ‘is not the way forward’
Irish News, June 24th, 2025
THE legacy of Northern Ireland’s past is not going to be dealt with by a series of public inquiries, Secretary of State Hilary Benn has said.
He came under questioning over the government’s handling of legacy cases during a meeting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee yesterday.
Mr Benn insisted that a reformed Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) will be able to deal with the cases.
The body led by Sir Declan Morgan, a former lord chief justice for Northern Ireland, was set up by the former government’s Legacy Act after scores of legacy inquests and other court cases relating to the Troubles were halted.
The Kingsmill massacre and the Guildford pub bombings are among cases it is currently looking at.
Mr Benn told MPs they are working to change disclosure arrangements and to make it compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
“In the end, we’re not going to deal with legacy with a whole series of public inquiries,” he said.
“We’re doing all this work to try and create a body which is capable of delivering justice for all, information for all, answers for all.
“That is what I am trying to do at the moment because of the incompatibilities identified.”
He was asked about his decision not to call a public inquiry into the circumstances around the murder of GAA official Sean Brown in 1997.
In May the UK Government confirmed it will seek a Supreme Court appeal over a court ruling that ordered it to hold a public inquiry into Mr Brown’s murder.
The 61-year-old then-chairman of Wolfe Tone’s GAA club in the Bellaghy, Co Derry town was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997.
No-one has ever been convicted of his killing.
Preliminary inquest proceedings last year heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents. It was also alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.
‘An awful, awful case’
Asked about Mr Brown’s case, Mr Benn told MPs: “It’s an awful, awful case.
“The murder of Sean Brown was shocking, deeply violent, and this has caused immense suffering to the family, to his widow Bridie and to the wider community, including the GAA family, because of the role that he undertook.
“But I came to the conclusion that the commission reformed would be capable of looking into it, and there’s an issue of principle here in respect to the court ruling.
“Up until this moment, the courts accepted that it is for governments to decide whether public inquiries are ordered, not for the courts.
“What the courts have tended to say is, this is the test that has to be met, the way in which the government chooses to meet that test is a matter for governments to decide.
“There is a margin of appreciation that is made available,” he added.
“In this particular case, the court has decided to order a public inquiry.
“We’re seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court because of that fundamental principle, which is, courts do not order public inquiries, governments do, and that is very important because of the nature of the mandatory order I am not able to do anything else other than order a public inquiry, which I made it clear that the government is not going to do, because I believe there’s another means of dealing with this case.”
Mr Benn said there are five other cases that are in the same position.
“People say the Sean Brown case is unique. All murders are unique and uniquely painful for the family, but it is not a unique case,” he said.
Benn explains why no special inquiry for ‘awful’ Brown murder
By Staff Reporter, Belfast News Letter, June 24th, 2025
Sean Brown's murder by loyalists in 1997 was an "awful, awful" killing said Hilary Benn, but it was not a unique case
The Sean Brown murder investigation cannot get special treatment over many other murders, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland has said.
In perhaps his strongest implied criticism of Belfast judges, for ordering a public inquiry into the 1997 loyalist murder of the GAA official Mr Brown, Hilary Benn reiterated that he was appealing their demand to the UK’s highest court, the Supreme Court.
“People say the Sean Brown case is unique,” Mr Benn told a meeting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster on Monday. “All murders are unique and uniquely painful for the family, but it is not a unique case.”
Under questioning over the government’s handling of legacy cases, Mr Brown was asked about Mr Brown’s case. He replied: “It’s an awful, awful case. The murder of Sean Brown was shocking, deeply violent, and this has caused immense suffering to the family, to his widow Bridie and to the wider community, including the GAA family, because of the role that he undertook.
Hilary Benn said: 'We’re seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court because of that fundamental principle, which is, courts do not order public inquiries, governments do'
“But I came to the conclusion that the [legacy] commission reformed would be capable of looking into it, and there’s an issue of principle here in respect to the court ruling.”
Mr Benn insisted that a reformed Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) will be able to deal with the cases. The body led by Sir Declan Morgan, a former lord chief justice for Northern Ireland, was set up by the former government’s Legacy Act after scores of legacy inquests and other court cases relating to the Troubles were halted.
The Kingsmill massacre and the Guildford pub bombings are among cases it is currently looking at.
“Up until this moment, the courts accepted that it is for governments to decide whether public inquiries are ordered, not for the courts.
“What the courts have tended to say is, this is the test that has to be met, the way in which the government chooses to meet that test is a matter for governments to decide. There is a margin of appreciation that is made available.
“In this particular case, the court has decided to order a public inquiry.
‘Courts do not order public inquiries’
“We’re seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court because of that fundamental principle, which is, courts do not order public inquiries, governments do, and that is very important because of the nature of the mandatory order I am not able to do anything else other than order a public inquiry, which I made it clear that the government is not going to do, because I believe there’s another means of dealing with this case.”
Mr Benn told MPs they are working to change disclosure arrangements and to make it compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
“In the end, we’re not going to deal with legacy with a whole series of public inquiries,” he said. “We’re doing all this work to try and create a body which is capable of delivering justice for all, information for all, answers for all.
“That is what I am trying to do at the moment because of the incompatibilities identified.”
In May the UK government confirmed it will seek a Supreme Court appeal over a court ruling that ordered it to hold a public inquiry into Mr Brown’s murder.
The 61-year-old then-chairman of Wolfe Tones GAA Club in the Co Londonderry town of Bellaghy was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997.
No-one has ever been convicted of his killing. Preliminary inquest proceedings last year heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.
It was also alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.
Mr Benn said: “This is not a unique case, and I would also say we are not going to deal with legacy by having a whole series of public inquiries.
“That is not a way forward. That is why we have to make the reform of the commission to win public confidence.
“To make it ECHR compliant is so important because then you have a mechanism that you can use to deal with all of them and all of us, the committee, the whole team, everybody needs to be concerned about justice for everyone.”
He added: “It is open to the Brown family to go to the commission today, the commission will start work on investigating.”
Mr Brown said that there are five other cases in the same position.
Murdered teenager's family settles alleged collusion case
BBC, Northern Ireland, June 23rd, 2025
The family of a teenager murdered by loyalist paramilitaries more than 50 years ago is to receive undisclosed damages in a settlement reached over alleged security force collusion with the killers.
Henry Cunningham, 16, from Carndonagh, County Donegal, was killed on 9 August 1973 when Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) gunmen ambushed the van he was in.
His brothers, Robert and Herbert, who were also in the vehicle, sued the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after it emerged that a weapon used in the killing had been stolen from an Army barracks the previous year.
At the High Court in Belfast on Monday it was announced the action had been settled on confidential terms.
Solicitor Kevin Winters (right) speaking outside Belfast High Court with Robbie Cunningham
Speaking outside court, Robert Cunningham said the family's case had never been about money.
"This was never about the money, it was about achieving closure. I started this so long ago, but I can sit back now that I have finally seen it through," he said.
The resolution includes an agreement to pay an undisclosed sum in damages without any admission of liability, the family's solicitor said.
Travelling home
Henry had been travelling home from labouring work in Belfast when UVF gunmen opened fire on the van from a motorway bridge, near Randalstown, County Antrim.
His older brother Herbert, who was driving, was injured, while brother Robert, was unhurt.
No-one has ever been prosecuted for his murder.
In 2008, an Historical Enquiries Team (HET) report said one of the guns used was stolen from a Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) base.
'Long overdue closure'
Herbert, who died last year, and Robert Cunningham sued the MoD for alleged misfeasance in public office and negligence, both as survivors of the attack and on behalf of his estate.
They claimed military chiefs were aware that guns under their control were being lost or stolen but failed to take any action.
Papers lodged in the case further allege the MoD knew or suspected UDR personnel were involved in taking the weapons which could be used by loyalist terror groups.
Mr Justice McLaughlin, who previously represented the MoD before his judicial appointment, told the family he was pleased that they had been able to achieve a resolution.
Robert Cunningham's solicitor Kevin Winters said it was "disappointing" the MoD had not apologised for the killing.
"I am immensely pleased for him that he's got some long overdue closure now," he added.
Did it really take race riots to spark 'game-changing' U-turn in decision over PSNI funding?
Allison Morris, Belfast Telegraph, June 24th, 2025
Since taking up office in November 2023, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has warned repeatedly that the PSNI is so poorly funded it would take just one major event to leave the public vulnerable with insufficient resources to investigate serious offenders.
His calls for action, urging the Executive to find extra funding, have until now fallen on deaf ears.
In May, the Police Federation used its annual conference to slam the Executive over a failure to fund the PSNI's recovery plan.
The federation's chair, Liam Kelly, claimed the Department of Finance had recently told the Chief Constable there was no extra money to support plans to bring officer numbers up to 7,000, adding: “It is a slap in the face to our officers.”
At the time, Naomi Long denied that the plan had been shredded but did admit there were challenges in “identifying sufficient funding”.
£200 million found
Fast forward to last weekend and the Justice Minister announced that the £200m had been found and is now awaiting Executive approval.
Mrs Long said the expected allocation would “allow us to rebuild police numbers which is the most important thing we can do”.
First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the Finance Minister was “very happy to sign that off” but added his recommendation must be approved by the Executive.
Speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Mrs Long said she had been working on the business case for some time and that real progress had been made.
“I think this is potentially a game-changer for us in terms of being able to rebuild”, she added.
So what has brought about this sudden change? And did it really take a week of race riots in Ballymena, Larne and Portadown to spur the Executive into action and convince the Department of Finance that the Chief Constable's dire predictions were coming true?
Riots - 50 families displaced and 64 police injured
Over 50 families were displaced and 64 police officers were injured during the riots that broke out after people broke away from an originally peaceful protest to attack the homes of migrant workers in Ballymena.
This followed a report of a sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl. Two 14-years-olds are currently in custody charged with the alleged attack.
Those numbers would have been much higher, with the potential for lives lost, had it not been for police and fire and rescue officers holding the line, keeping the rioters back long enough to allow safe passage for those under attack.
With so many officers injured and with large numbers required to police the riots, mutual assistance officers were drafted into Northern Ireland from Police Scotland. The cost for this was around £5m and highlighted an unsustainable situation.
No specific proposals
DUP leader Gavin Robinson has called for clarity around the funding, saying the £5m-£7m needed for the first year of recruitment has not been formally submitted. “Comments from the First Minister appeared to indicate there was a proposal in front of the Finance Minister that he was 'happy' to sign off, so it would be useful for her to explain exactly what she was referring to,” he added. “The business case citing a need for circa £200m is obviously important, but approval of that business case by either the Finance Minister or the Executive as a whole doesn't deliver the funding.
“It can only be delivered from specific proposals which currently are not on the table.”
So while the funding issue still remains unclear, it seems there is an opportunity to at least start the process of recruiting new officers.
The PSNI is currently sitting at 6,200 officers with 7,000 needed to police safely. There are issues with policing, in terms of diversity, performance and public confidence, and it is right that there is oversight, scrutiny and accountability.
But it is unfair to judge the force on performance when there are not enough officers to police safely.
It shouldn't take such a serious incident as the riots in Ballymena to focus minds on the importance of public safety. Taking the Justice Minister at her word, she seems to have secured funding to bring the force numbers closer to that envisioned by Patten.
Benn: ‘Onus back on executive’ over Casement
Rebecca Black, Irish News, June 24th, 2025
THE onus is on the Northern Ireland Executive over the rebuilding of Casement Park, Secretary of State Hilary Benn has said.
Mr Benn set out that either more funding is found for the long-delayed GAA stadium or the current plans are scaled back.
He was speaking to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee yesterday after the UK Government pledged £50 million earlier this month for the project.
There are also pledges of £62.5 million from Stormont, £43 million from the Irish Government and £15 million from the GAA.
However, the current plan for a 34,000-capacity stadium is still short of cash with a reported estimate of £260 million, while just over £170 million is currently available.
Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011 as part of a strategy to revamp it along with soccer’s Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill.
While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents.
The estimated cost spiralled in the interim.
Two options
Mr Benn put to MPs that there are two ways to proceed.
“One is to find more resources from elsewhere and I think the onus is back now on the executive whose project this is, dating from 2011,” he said.
“Either you find more money to get it towards the current assessed cost or the nature of the design is scaled back to fit the funds that are available.
“Those are broadly the two choices, or some meeting point in between, but I do think that it gives quite an impetus to the project.
“The executive has wanted to do this since 2011, there are particular reasons to do with planning which have made it difficult, and that’s been significantly responsible for delay.”
Mr Benn also cautioned that the current planning permission is due to expire next summer and said to have to reapply for planning permission would cause further delay.
He added: “Windsor Park has been done, Ravenhill has been done, but Casement Park has not.
“I want the people of Northern Ireland to be able to enjoy those three great sporting traditions in three stadia. That’s why the government’s made the contribution.”
DUP councillor pledged to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with band that later played sectarian tune
Connla Young, Irish News, June 24th, 2025
DUP councillor Dean McCullough pledged to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with a newly-formed loyalist band later filmed playing an anti-Catholic anthem.
Tigers Bay Loyal Flute Band was filmed playing ‘No Pope of Rome’ during last Friday’s Tour of the North parade in north Belfast as onlookers chanted its sectarian lyrics.
Posting before the parade Mr McCullough suggested the band was “born out of pride, passion and a deep love for our culture”.
“This is more than a parade. It’s about identity, community and standing tall,” he wrote.
“I’ll be walking with them tonight – shoulder to shoulder.
“Let them hear you,” the DUP man added.
The ‘No Pope of Rome’ song includes the words “No, no Pope of Rome, no chapels to sadden my eyes, no nuns and no priests, no Rosary beads, every day is the Twelfth of July”.
It also includes the anti-Catholic lines “oh give me a home where there’s no Pope of Rome, where there’s nothing but Protestants stay, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and flute bands play The Sash every day”.
The DUP was asked if Mr McCullough was with the band when the sectarian tune was played.
Newly-formed, Tigers Bay Loyal Flute Band accompanied Belfast Harbour LOL 1883 during the parade, which was organised by Belfast Orange Hall, United Districts Committee.
Footage circulated online shows a banner being carried behind the new band during the procession.
Just seven bands, including Tigers Bay, were notified to take part in the annual Orange outing, which was traditionally one of the most contentious held in Belfast each year.
Orange Order
The Orange Order made no comment when contacted.
Other DUP representatives have been caught up in ‘No Pope of Rome’ linked controversies in recent weeks.
Last month it emerged that north Belfast MLA Phillip Brett attended a parade in the Ballyduff area of Newtownabbey during which the tune was both played and sung.
Days earlier, The Irish News revealed that Stormont education minister Paul Givan, Edwin Poots, who is the assembly speaker, and MLA Jonathan Buckley were present when a band played ‘No Pope of Rome’ and the Billy Boys tunes in Lisburn on Easter Monday.
Onlookers could be heard singing the lyrics of both songs as a loyalist band member performed cartwheels along a street hours after Pope Francis died in Rome.
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart and Lisburn and Castlereagh City councillor James Tinsley were also present at the Apprentice Boys of Derry parade.
North Belfast Alliance MLA Nuala McAllister said: “It is deeply disappointing to once again see a parade marred by scenes of sectarian songs being played.
“It appears to be a repeated occurrence lately, particularly following the death of Pope Francis, and only adds to the hurt already caused by similar incidents.”
Ms McAllister said more respect needs to be shown.
“There may only be a minority of people playing or singing these songs each time but their actions give everyone there a bad name, including some unionist elected representatives who have gone on to praise the parade,” she said.
“We need to see increased respect and tolerance from everyone across the entire community.
“It is never acceptable to act this way, nor is it acceptable for MLAs of any party to attend them.”
