Who murdered Jeff Agate?

Snickers Man

Reported in today's Irish Times that the former leader of the IRA in the Maze has had his conviction for murdering 'local industrialist' Jeff Agate in the 1970s quashed because it was probably 'unsafe'.

Fair enough. He MIGHT not have done it and it is wrong to ascribe individual responsibility for a dastardly act to somebody on an arbitrary basis. Even if he clearly was a member of the IRA, otherwise how would he become its 'officer commanding' in the Maze?

But if it is unlikely that individual responsibility for the murder will ever be attributed to the real perpetrator, whoever he or she may be, there is a collective guilt that everybody in Sinn Fein has to shoulder because there is no doubt that the IRA carried out the crime, and I use that word deliberately; that it was part of a deliberate policy of civilian murder at the time; that it had nothing to do with 'military' or 'intelligence' operations; and it should not be forgotten.

Some of you younger people are wondering "Who the **** was Jeff Agate?"

Agate was an Englishman who ran the Dupont plant outside Derry, one of the town's major employers in the 1970s when it was an unemployment black spot. He was murdered in the 1970s by the IRA as part of a spate of killings of 'industrialists' whose businesses were 'propping up' the 'Six County state'. He had no connecton with the armed forces, no connection with British intelligence nor with unionist politics. He was a blow in, sent by his multinational company to do a job.

By all accounts, he did that job in a perfectly decent, professional and conscientious way. His factory was a major employer of Catholics, when some at the time were not. He was extremely well liked and respected.

Former SDLP mayor of Derry, Raymond McLean, a doctor, was employed by Agate as a medical officer to ensure that workers in the plant were not subjected to any toxic effects of the chemicals at the plant. This gave McLean valuable experience on the effects of hazardous chemicals on humans which he put to good effect when gathering material about the RUC's overuse of CS gas in riots and on the damaging effects it could have for people in the area.

McLean wrote in his autobigraphy, the Road to Bloody Sunday,: "I came to respect Jeff Agate as a just and honest human being of the highest calibre and his assassination by the IRA some years later left me in total shock and disbelief."

So if McCartney (pardoned yesterday) didn't do it, who did? And who ordered it? (I wonder would Mr McGuinness know)

You can be sure I'll be asking any power-dressed shinner whose day job is lecturing in a business school (eh, Mary-Lou?) when they come knocking on my door at election time what their attitude is to inward investment or people working for multinational companies.

In the 1970s, it was 'shoot the bastards'.

Jackie laughlin

The PSNI should of course go to Martin McGuinness and ask him. They should then let us know his answers now that SFIRA are cooperating fully with the police. The police of course won't do this for fear of upsetting the "peace process". Ah yes, that threatening oxymoron again!

Durnish

Still a good question, after all these years, and now back in the news.