The IRA had a plan to murder Prince Charles and Princess Diana at the Dominion Theatre and to place 16 small devices on English beaches, the High Court was told yesterday.
The former IRA activist, Mr Sean O'Callaghan, told the court he was involved in the plan but had passed information to the authorities regarding the mission and it had been aborted.
It was the second day of a libel action taken by a Co Louth farmer, Mr Thomas Murphy, of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Dundalk, against the Sunday Times.
Under cross-examination by Mr Eamon Leahy SC, for Mr Murphy, Mr O'Callaghan said he told the RUC, after he went voluntarily to Tunbridge Wells police station in England in 1988 to turn himself in, that he had murdered two Americans representing Noraid who had been sent as hostages at the time of the Marita Ann gun shipment. The murders were imaginary and never happened. The RUC was quick to dismiss the claims.
He agreed that when jailed for the murders of Eva Martin and RUC officer Peter Flanagan, he had said he would never apologise for them. He said he deeply regretted the murders but had a lot of reasons to be deeply suspicious of public apologies.
He had been "debriefed" by British security personnel during sessions in England and the Netherlands. The British were not particularly interested in what he had done but were interested in "the broader picture" concerning the IRA.
He had received payment of £2,000 to go to the Continent, £500 while there, and another £4,000 at the end of his "debriefing" session in September 1986, when he returned to England.
Mr Leahy asked Mr O'Callaghan had he always been truthful in his dealings with journalists. He said he had not and agreed he had deliberately sought to mislead journalists in the past.
He agreed he had given evidence last week of Mr Murphy attending an IRA Revolutionary Council meeting in Charlestown, Co Mayo, in 1983, and two further IRA GHQ meetings in 1985 in Co Mayo and Co Kildare. He had previously stated one of those meetings took place near Nenagh. That was a mistake.
He agreed there was also an inaccuracy in his statement to the Sunday Times in relation to a conversation which he alleged took place between Mr Pat Doherty and Mr Murphy.
Mr Leahy said Mr O'Callaghan's statement to the Sunday Times involved Mr O'Callaghan himself uttering the words: "What about the Sinn Fein delegation?" during the alleged conversation, while in court Mr O'Callaghan had said Mr Doherty had uttered those words.
Mr O'Callaghan said it was Mr Doherty who had uttered the words and that the statement was incorrect in attributing them to him [Mr O'Callaghan].
He agreed he had rang a journalist, Gerry Colleran, twice or three times and had met him in a Paris hotel room in September 1986. He agreed he had denied he was an informer at that meeting. He denied he claimed responsibility for six murders. He said he had admitted the murders of Eva Martin, Peter Flanagan and Sean Corcoran.
He realised that giving the RUC and Sunday Times false statements cast some doubt on his credibility. He believed he had information relevant to the Corcoran murder while he was in prison and he wrote to the Garda. He had continued to be available to the Garda since his release.
He said Mr Murphy was present at an IRA Revolutionary Council meeting in June or July 1983. Asked to describe Mr Murphy at that time, he said Mr Murphy had "a little more hair, was not quite so grey, not so fat", was some 5'10 or 5'11 and had a "rather funny nose". He was physically dour and said little.
Asked to describe a house in Co Kildare where he alleged an IRA meeting took place, he agreed he had poor recollection of physical details.
He said he had a relationship with the Sunday Times from 1992. He had been interviewed by its then Ireland Correspondent, Liam Clarke, and later wrote articles for it and other newspapers. He had irregular but fairly constant contact with Mr Clarke in 1993 and afterwards.
He had been writing for some time before his release in 1996. At the time of his release he had almost finished a novel, written some poetry and was beginning an autobiography on which he was co-operating with Ms Cathy Johnson, Mr Clarke's wife. He had received a substantial advance for that. The book was to be published on May 20th and serialisation rights had been negotiated.
He was released in December 1996. He was collected from prison by Mr Clarke and the Sunday Times had found accommodation for him that night. He was now staying in accommodation paid for by the Sunday Times. He agreed the book advance he had received would be sufficient to pay some of his rent but he had not used it to do so.
Mr Leahy read extracts from an article written by Mr O'Callaghan, shortly after his release, for the Sunday Times. The article was headlined: "Confessions of a gunman who betrayed the IRA". He put it to Mr O'Callaghan that the article was written to "a stereotypical anti-Irish agenda". Mr O'Callaghan agreed the article contained references to rashers, priests, drink, the devil and a "sweety" shop.
He also agreed that in the article he referred to a garda driving him to a meeting where, Mr O'Callaghan claimed, an IRA plot to kill Prince Charles and Princess Diana was being discussed. He agreed the article referred to the garda laughing but said this was in the context of "black humour" and because he and the garda were involved in having the plot aborted.
He said it was true that the garda had suggested Mr O'Callaghan should go ahead with a plot to place small bombs on English beaches but should place the devices in remote areas.
Mr Leahy said of the article where Mr O'Callaghan claimed to have been sprinkled with holy water and fed burned steak breakfasts by two priests after he was involved in murdering an RUC officer smacked of "Father Ted meets Egon Ronay". Mr O'Callaghan said what he had described was true.