The former Army Intelligence officer Captain James Kelly has insisted that former Taoiseach Mr Jack Lynch knew in advance of the April 1970 attempt to import arms.
Private records kept by the late Mr Lynch and released to The Irish Times this week show Mr Lynch maintained that "the first time I knew of an attempt to import arms in which members of the government were alleged to be involved was . . . 20th April 1970". Mr Lynch's assertion is at variance with the diaries of the late Mr Peter Berry, Secretary of the Department of Justice at the time.
Responding to the publication of Mr Lynch's position, Capt Kelly yesterday said the former Taoiseach was fully aware of a directive given to the Army in February 1970 by the minister for defence, Mr Jim Gibbons. That directive, according to Capt Kelly, ordered the Army to prepare for possible incursions into Northern Ireland, and "to set aside surplus arms and ammunition for that purpose".
According to a document in Capt Kelly's possession, Mr Lynch knew of this directive in February 1970. This document, described as a minute of a meeting in June 1970 between Mr Lynch, Mr Gibbons, the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Department of Defence, indicates that Mr Lynch explained to the meeting what the government had intended by its February 1970 directive.
Capt Kelly said he interprets the directive as providing the basis for his visit to mainland Europe in 1970, seeking to buy arms for importation into the State. He repeated his position of the past 30 years, that this trip was done with the full knowledge of the then minister for defence, and that as an Army Intelligence officer he was acting under government orders at all times.
He said he would like to see a Garda investigation into the events leading up to his facing charges in 1970 of conspiracy to import arms illegally into the State - a charge of which he was acquitted.