Morris Tribunal: It was common knowledge among uniformed gardaí in Buncrana that alleged garda informer Ms Adrienne McGlinchey was "Detective Branch property" and was not to be touched, a Donegal garda told the Morris tribunal.
The tribunal is probing claims that alleged informer Ms McGlinchey together with two suspended detectives, Supt Kevin Lennon and Garda Noel McMahon, prepared explosives for bogus Garda arms finds. Both officers deny these claims, and Ms McGlinchey has insisted she was never an informer.
Garda Frank Togher told the tribunal that on the night of April 30th, 1992, Ms McGlinchey and Ms Yvonne Devine came to his notice. When an area in which the two were seen was searched by Garda Togher and Garda David Murphy, a bag was recovered and seven bullets were found nearby. However, no arrest was made, and no charges were brought.
"It would have been common knowledge that these two ladies were the property of Detective Branch," Garda Togher said. "It was common knowledge in uniform that they were associated with subversives. I believed that as well," he said. "But I didn't believe they were hardcore, they were on the fringes."