Morris Tribunal: A note written by a senior garda in Donegal stating, "bomb now scheduled for around 23 November 1993", referred to intelligence obtained from an alleged informer, the Morris tribunal has heard.
Supt Kevin Lennon, who with Det Noel McMahon is alleged to have arranged bogus arms finds in Donegal a decade ago, yesterday gave evidence to the tribunal for the third day. Both gardaí deny the claims by their alleged informer, Ms Adrienne McGlinchey, and Ms McGlinchey denies she was ever an informer.
Tribunal barrister Mr Peter Charleton asked Supt Lennon if notes he made saying "40 bags of fertiliser now in place, more sugar to be got, 100 rounds needed for Monday night" were all items of intelligence coming from Ms McGlinchey.
"Yes sir, coming through Mr McMahon," Supt Lennon said.
He added that it was "unfair" of Mr Charleton to say the notes referred to "the bomb that you were planning for Ardchicken". Supt Lennon said he was told by Det Noel McMahon that a bomb to be used as a barrack buster was stored in Ardchicken, near Donegal town. A cover story of a routine search was used to retrieve this material in order to protect Ms McGlinchey.
He said he did not know the substance recovered was urea, a non-explosive substance, until he saw the tribunal documentation. He said he was told it was explosive material by Supt Michael Duffy.
Supt Lennon said he told Ms McGlinchey they would keep an eye on her in case she came under suspicion by the IRA, but she was never interrogated.
The superintendent said he had once delivered six sets of curtains and children's clothes to the McMahon household, but had never stored explosives there. He told the tribunal he had denied delivering plastic bags to the McMahons "in the context of putting explosives in her shed".
Supt Lennon was also questioned about an operation at Bridgend, on the Donegal-Derry border, where a checkpoint was put in place to intercept a batch of explosives.
Asked about a diary entry that reads: "Organised Bridgend operation which resulted in explosives find 95lb HME (home-made explosive)", Supt Lennon said: "I didn't organise, I made suggestions." He said a note written around October 1993, reading "Monday night next, more sugar to be got", meant Ms McGlinchey was to get sugar for the IRA.
"Why would the IRA inform somebody that they needed more sugar?" asked Mr Charleton.
Supt Lennon said he was told by Det McMahon that Ms McGlinchey was to obtain sugar from a cash & carry. This was then to be brought to IRA members in Letterkenny.
Mr Justice Morris asked Supt Lennon why he felt the need to contact his superiors after receiving information that Ms McGlinchey was going to cross the Border to deliver a package to Strabane.
"I'm astonished that there is no readiness to accept the responsibility themselves," the judge said. "Why did you not deal with it yourself?"
Supt Lennon replied: "Because I wanted direction. I really didn't know how to deal with it."
The judge asked if it was not "an appalling betrayal" for Supt Lennon to give a description of Ms McGlinchey to the RUC. "What way was this to treat a genuine informer?" he asked.
"In order to protect life and property I had to tell the RUC," Supt Lennon said.