NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST Kevin Myers has told the Smithwick Tribunal he believed there were at least two IRA moles and possibly an IRA cell working within Dundalk Garda station in the 1980s.
Giving evidence yesterday, Mr Myers said at the time he wrote a newspaper column in March 2000, alleging Garda collusion with IRA assassins, he believed at least 12 killings were carried out with the aid of a single IRA mole.
He said the primary sources for the column, which ran in the "Irishman's Diary" series in The Irish Times, were a former senior garda and a reformed "terrorist". He based some of his understanding of events on the book Bandit Countryby a former Daily Telegraphjournalist Toby Harnden.
He told the tribunal he had assumed both his primary sources had been talking about the same mole, when in fact he later discovered they had been talking about separate members of the Garda, whose surnames both began with the letter C. In this he said his column had been mistaken.
He told Judge Peter Smithwick his garda source had named “Colton”, a now retired Sgt Leo Colton who was serving in Dundalk Garda station in the 1980s. Mr Myers said his terrorist source had also used the letter C. He later came to understand this indicated Det Sgt Owen Corrigan, who also served in Dundalk Garda station.
He said he now believed there were at least two gardaí working for the IRA in Dundalk, and possibly an entire cell. Under cross-examination by Jim O’Callaghan SC, for Mr Corrigan, Mr Myers said “ ‘cell’ suggests a coherence that might not have existed”. He said he knew little about Mr Corrigan and had not named him in the piece, but that others had named him. “It was a shocking allegation to have made,” he said, “but I did not make it.”
He acknowledged he was incorrect on some details in relation to some of the murders. He told Mr O’Callaghan the column was based on his opinions and assertions. He said a column was “a different factual plane” than a news article or editorial comment. “All we can do is tell the truth as sincerely and as impartially as possible,” he said.
Mr O’Callaghan asked: “Do you think that article told the truth in a fair and impartial manner?” Mr Myers said: “No, I don’t believe it did.” He said he was inspired to write the piece because “there was too many cross-Border operations going wrong without something systemically wrong”.
