Were any Loyalists arressted for attacks in the 26 counties ?

BalcombeSt4

I was reading Joe Tiernan's "Dublin & Monaghan Bombibgs and the Murder Triangle"

He names several attacks Loyalists carried out in the South in the 72/73 Dublin bombs, 74 Dublin, Monaghan, Kay's Tavern etc... and nobody was ever arrested for these crimes. Was any Loyalists arressted for any of these attacks?

5 August 1969 - RTE HQ bombing in Donnybrook by UVF
19 October 1969 - power station near Ballyshannon in County Donegal by UPV
31 October 1969 - grave of Wolfe Tone in Bodenstown by UVF
26 December 1969 - bomb at the Daniel O'Connell monument at the southern end of O'Connell Street, Dublin by UVF
18 February 1970 - UVF bomb at a 240-foot radio mast on Mongary Hill, near Raphoe, County Donegal
26 March 1970 - UVF bomb explosion damaged an electricity sub-station at Greenhills Road, Tallaght,
2 July 1970 - There was a UVF bomb explosion on the railway line between Dublin and Belfast at Baldoyle
17 January 1971 - The UVF exploded a bomb at the Daniel O'Connell monument at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin
8 February - UVF exploded a bomb at the statue of Wolf Tone in St Stephen's Green, Dublin

Nobody was seriously hurt in these 9 early attacks.

29 October 1972 – A 12lbs bomb (which is big enough & could kill a few people) is planted by the UVF in Connolly Station but defused by Army.
26 November 1972 -UVF plant a bomb outside the rear exit door of the Film Centre Cinema, O’Connell Bridge House injuring 40 people.
1 December 1972 Dublin UVF bombs - 2 killed, 127 injured
28 December - Belurbet, Cavan UVF car bomb - 2 Killed, 8 injured
28 December - Clones, Monaghan UVF car bomb - 2 injured
28 December Pettigo, Donega -l UVF bomb - 1 injured
20 January 1973 - UVF Car bomb, Dublin 1 killed, 17 injured
17 May 1974 - UVF Dublin & Monaghan bombings - 34 killed, 300 injurd
10 January 1975 - John Francis Green murder in Castleblayney, Monaghan
22 June 1975 - A Catholic civilian was stabbed to death by Loyalists in an attack at Baronrath Bridge, near Sallins, County Kildare
29 November 1975 - An airport employee was killed by a UDA bomb at Dublin airport
19 December - UVF Car bombing outside Kay's Tavern in Dundalk kills 2 & injures 15, also that same day about 20 minutes later the same group th Glennane Gang kill 3 more at Silverbridge in South Armagh.
February 1976 - 25 lbs. bomb explodes in the Shelbourne Hotel along with eight incendiary bombs in department stores and shops in the Grafton Street and Henry Street areas. There were no injuries, the UD is believed to be behind it.
8 November 1986 - UFF plant four small four explosive devices in O’Connell Street. No injuries.
February 1987 - The UDA plant incendiary bombs in a cinema and cafe in Middle Abbey Street, a bonded warehouse in Mabbot Lane and a bookshop in Talbot Street. Only the device in the warehouse exploded but caused little damage.
February 1991 - UDA plant two crude incendiary bombs in an O’Connell Street department store. They fail to go off.
18 September 1993 - On the day of the All-Ireland hurling final, The UFF claim responsibility for planting a small bomb and cutting communication cables near to Store Street Garda station.
1994
5 January – Two members of the Irish Army bomb disposal unit are injured when a parcel bomb sent by the UVF to the Sinn Fein offices in Dublin exploded during examination at Cathal Brugha barracks.
21 May – IRA member Martin ‘Doco’ Doherty (35) was shot dead by UVF gunmen in Widow Scanlon’s pub, Pearse Street after preventing two loyalist bombers entering a Sinn Fein fundraiser. A Sinn Fein supporter, Paddy Burke, was shot in the throat but survived. The gunmen left the scene in a car driven by a third man, leaving behind the holdall which contained an 18 lb bomb. The bomb’s detonator exploded as people attended to Doherty and Burke but the main explosives failed to ignite.
21 September – The UVF planted a 1.5 kg bomb on the Belfast–Dublin train. It partially exploded as the train neared Dublin Connolly railway station, wounding two people.

Thats 27 Loyalists attacks in all killing over 50 people & injuring around 500 in counties Donegal Monaghan, Louth, Cavan, Kildare & Dublin
(9 attacks between 69 - 71, 6 in 72, 1 in 73, 1, in 74, 4 in 75, 1 in 76, 2 in the 80's, 5 in the 90's)

To my knowledge the closet anbody came to being arrestted for Loyalist attacks in the South were the Littlejohns who just carried robberies and claimed they were M16 agents trying to inflitrate the OIRA.
And the 1976 Flagstaff arrest of an 8 SAS man team by the Irish Army & Garda who they only held for a few days thanks to pressure from Britiain to let them go.

Del.Monte

Is there any point raking over all this stuff again and again? Would you like me to ask how many murders north of the border remain unsolved.

Sir Norman Stronge (87) and his son http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-20854772

Chief Justice Gibson (73) and his wife http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/villiers-considering-probe-into-provos-1987-murders-of-top-judge-and-wife-31405192.html

Omagh, Warrenpoint, Kingsmill etc.etc. Pointless stirring up old memories as nothing is going to be done about any sectarian killings north or south. Let sleeping dogs lie.

BalcombeSt4

Point
your Head

Those who fail to learn from the mistkes of the past are bound to repeat them.

What I was getting at was not just that people were killed but the lack of security in this state. If a ISIL cell ever did want to launch to an attack here then our past record of letting killers getaway would be great for them. The Loyalist bombs bar the 72 - 75 period were very crude devices.

Also was their some political reason these people were let away. People knew the names, Billy hanna, Harris boyle Robert Jackson, Robert McConnell etc...

Snotty

Del.Monte wrote: »

Is there any point raking over all this stuff again and again? Would you like me to ask how many murders north of the border remain unsolved.

Sir Norman Stronge (87) and his son http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-20854772

Chief Justice Gibson (73) and his wife http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/villiers-considering-probe-into-provos-1987-murders-of-top-judge-and-wife-31405192.html

Omagh, Warrenpoint, Kingsmill etc.etc. Pointless stirring up old memories as nothing is going to be done about any sectarian killings north or south. Let sleeping dogs lie.

Quite the over reaction to a perfectly valid question and discussion topic in a history forum.

Sorry OP I don't know of any arrests, but maybe it's understandable, Guards in the Republic were not equipped with manpower or knowledge to act against terrorism. The would have had infinite more knowledge about republican activities outside of their border than loyalist activity within their borders.

pedroeibar1

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

I was reading etc........

Like many others here I'm a bit confused by your continual references to names/places/events that clearly interest nobody here (i.e. just look at the views/response rates). You make claims that rarely if ever contain sources, your assertions often are wild, and usually 'strange' to say the least.

To my knowledge the closet anbody came to being arrestted for Loyalist attacks in the South were the Littlejohns who just carried robberies and claimed they were M16 agents trying to inflitrate the OIRA.
And the 1976 Flagstaff arrest of an 8 SAS man team by the Irish Army & Garda who they only held for a few days thanks to pressure from Britiain to let them go. people were killed but the lack of security in this state....our past record of letting killers getaway would be great for them............Also was their some political reason these people were let away. People knew the names, Billy hanna, Harris boyle Robert Jackson, Robert McConnell etc....

You often speak of IRA 'personnel' with a degree of awe, when most of the population of the 26 counties regard them as thugs. Many of the most interesting posters on this forum have departed because one Mod allowed a certain 'tone' in many posts on N Irl. Personally I believe that any topic on an event less than 50 years old should not be allowed as it is not 'history'. And many of your posts are more suited to Afterhours or politics.

Snotty

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Like many others here I'm a bit confused by your continual references to names/places/events that clearly interest nobody here (i.e. just look at the views/response rates). You make claims that rarely if ever contain sources, your assertions often are wild, and usually 'strange' to say the least.

You often speak of IRA 'personnel' with a degree of awe, when most of the population of the 26 counties regard them as thugs. Many of the most interesting posters on this forum have departed because one Mod allowed a certain 'tone' in many posts on N Irl. Personally I believe that any topic on an event less than 50 years old should not be allowed as it is not 'history'. And many of your posts are more suited to Afterhours or politics.

Ah OK, I though this was a genuine enough topic, didn't realise the agenda, which I have no interest in being involved in.

BalcombeSt4

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Like many others here I'm a bit confused by your continual references to names/places/events that clearly interest nobody here (i.e. just look at the views/response rates). You make claims that rarely if ever contain sources, your assertions often are wild, and usually 'strange' to say the least.
.

Thats because they are very strange incidents


http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch69.htm#5869
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch69.htm#191069
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch69.htm#311069
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch69.htm#261269
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch70.htm#2770
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch70.htm#26370
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch70.htm#18270
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch71.htm#17171
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch71.htm#8271
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch72.htm#261172
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/cgi-bin/dyndeaths.pl?querytype=date&day=1&month=12&year=1972
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/cgi-bin/dyndeaths.pl?querytype=date&day=28&month=12&year=1972

I can post more sources to back these ones up if you want?

Fratton Fred

Snotty wrote: »

Ah OK, I though this was a genuine enough topic, didn't realise the agenda, which I have no interest in being involved in.

Anyone who names themselves after a terrorist cell responsible for killing and maiming scores of innocentpeople, but then likes to start threads about atrocities carried out by another group of terrorists clearly has an agenda.

As well as being a complete and utter hypocrite.

Full Marx

Interesting Topic OP, the reaction to it from certain quarters is odd to say the least. Bashed for 'raking things up' from the psst - in a history forum! Followed by whataboutery, followed by outright attacks on the OP. Very odd.

Joe Tiernan is owed a great debt for his work and his dedication to it. For years, he may still, he went door to sell his book which he had to self publish because publishers were afraid of what it said. (I still have two copies lying around, I bought a few off him) Thankfully that has changed with the works of the likes of Anne Cadwallader and company reiterating and building on, with previously unavailable sources, the work of Joe.

The only occasion I can immediately recall Loyalists being arrested (for something high profile anyway) in the 26 counties for was the incident in Clontibret in Monaghan. Peter Robinson was arrested.
The night Peter Robinson and a gang of masked loyalists invaded a Co Monaghan village http://jrnl.ie/3189075

An important point to bear in mind OP is that much of the attacks (particularly the more serious ones) you mention were organised in collusion with British security forces. The same security forces that the Gardai would be reliant on to help investigate attacks, interrogate suspects, provide intelligence etc.

So in fairness the Gardai did not have much of a chance of arresting anyone unless, like with Robinson, they were caught in the act.

Arsemageddon

The loyalist chaps didn't hang around in the Republic after planting a bomb, therefore there was no one for the Gardai to question. There was also the issue of extradition- the Republic frequently did not extradite suspects to the UK, so there wasn't much chance that the British would do so. Then there is the whole issue of collusion.

While I disagree with Pedro about the idea of anything in the last 50 years being too recent for inclusion in this forum, I most certainly agree with the sentiment that threads like this are complete and utter nonsense and belong somewhere else.

BalcombeSt4

Arsemageddon wrote: »

The loyalist chaps didn't hang around in the Republic after planting a bomb, therefore there was no one for the Gardai to question. There was also the issue of extradition- the Republic frequently did not extradite suspects to the UK, so there wasn't much chance that the British would do so. Then there is the whole issue of collusion.

While I disagree with Pedro about the idea of anything in the last 50 years being too recent for inclusion in this forum, I most certainly agree with the sentiment that threads like this are complete and utter nonsense and belong somewhere else.

Yea there good points, but it couldn't have been to hard to put a military presence at crossings near the border could it? For Alot of the serious incidents the Gardai knew the names of the people involved pretty quickly.

I agree Loyalists didn't hang around long in the South to get caught but either did some Republicans in England like the Aldershot & Old Bailey bombers and they were caught.

Take the Widow Scallens incident of 1994 for example, two people shot in Dublin & a bomb partially exploded & nobody was able to stop this car from driving back to the border? And by 1994 we were extraditing Republicans to the North.

riffmongous

Mod Note: A general reminder that if you have a problem with a post or a thread you should report it. Please pay heed to the forum charter while posting, and try to keep your post following the History forum guidelines. Charter

Del.Monte

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

Yea there good points, but it couldn't have been to hard to put a military presence at crossings near the border could it? For Alot of the serious incidents the Gardai knew the names of the people involved pretty quickly.

I agree Loyalists didn't hang around long in the South to get caught but either did some Republicans in England like the Aldershot & Old Bailey bombers and they were caught.

Take the Widow Scallens incident of 1994 for example, two people shot in Dublin & a bomb partially exploded & nobody was able to stop this car from driving back to the border? And by 1994 we were extraditing Republicans to the North.

So what are you suggesting, collusion between the Republic's security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries?

pedroeibar1

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

Thats because they are very strange incidents
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/cgi-bin/dyndeaths.pl?querytype=date&day=28&month=12&year=1972
Etc.
I can post more sources to back these ones up if you want?

You list a diary of events that unarguably took place. You might as well have posted a link to a newspaper archive or parliamentary reports. What is being questioned are your various assertions such as political collusion and that the Irish security forces were inefficient at best and useless at worst. You have not provided any sources for those claims. You then go on to contradict yourself by talking about the arrest and detention of armed SAS soldiers -

….. the 1976 Flagstaff arrest of an 8 SAS man team by the Irish Army & Garda who they only held for a few days thanks to pressure from Britiain to let them go.

Firstly, it was not just one ‘arrest’ – it was a series of incidents/arrests. Cars were stopped by routine Garda/Army patrols. Un-uniformed British troops were held. They were arrested. They were heavily questioned, their firearms were forensically checked. They were prosecuted in the Special Criminal Court for illegal possession of arms/ammunition. They were found guilty and fined. On payment of the fines they were released. Jailing them was not an option. It was ‘thanks’ to pragmatism that they were released, not pressure. What is your source to show the contrary?

What I was getting at was not just that people were killed but the lack of security in this state.

Really? Do you read the papers at all? Maybe you missed the headline in August that the Gardaí arrested four men in Dublin and charged them under the Offences against the State Act? How about the pair arrested in Dublin in June and charged with having explosives? How many drug-dealing scumbags operating under a claim of ‘Republicanism’ are arrested on a regular basis?

it couldn't have been to hard to put a military presence at crossings near the border could it?

Another ill-informed remark. Have you any idea of the terrain? Or how to police a line arbitrarily drawn on a map? There were about 30,000 British troops in Northern Ireland in the 1970’s. Add to that the UDR (about 9,000) and RUC (another 9,000 and about 4,000 reservists). At that time the standing strength of the Irish Army was about 12,000 and the Gardaí about 9,000. Go figure.


(From BBC website - After the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 terms were reached to reduce the number of troops in Northern Ireland. In November 2004 there were 11,000 British soldiers in Northern Ireland - down from a peak figure of about 30,000 in the mid 1970s. )

BalcombeSt4

Del.Monte wrote: »

So what are you suggesting, collusion between the Republic's security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries?

Not collusion between Loyalists, or even between the British government even but the 1972 bombings helped tip the debate (of giving the government extreme powers they still use today) in favour of the government motion when before the bombs happened the debate was going against them.

A senior Garda source told Yorkshire Television's Hidden Hand: The Forgotten Massacre in 1993;

The 1972 bombings were the work of the SAS, there's no doubt about it. They were such convient bombs with the Dáil debate going on. That's probably why the article [in the Evening Herald in 1973] appeared. There was a lot of frustration about the SAS role and our inability to do anything about it.

Thats not me suggesting that, and I have no idea if the guy is right or not, but it does seem strange.

BalcombeSt4

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

You list a diary of events that unarguably took place. You might as well have posted a link to a newspaper archive or parliamentary reports. What is being questioned are your various assertions such as political collusion and that the Irish security forces were inefficient at best and useless at worst. You have not provided any sources for those claims. You then go on to contradict yourself by talking about the arrest and detention of armed SAS soldiers -
Firstly, it was not just one ‘arrest’ – it was a series of incidents/arrests. Cars were stopped by routine Garda/Army patrols. Un-uniformed British troops were held. They were arrested. They were heavily questioned, their firearms were forensically checked. They were prosecuted in the Special Criminal Court for illegal possession of arms/ammunition. They were found guilty and fined. On payment of the fines they were released. Jailing them was not an option. It was ‘thanks’ to pragmatism that they were released, not pressure. What is your source to show the contrary?

Really? Do you read the papers at all? Maybe you missed the headline in August that the Gardaí arrested four men in Dublin and charged them under the Offences against the State Act? How about the pair arrested in Dublin in June and charged with having explosives? How many drug-dealing scumbags operating under a claim of ‘Republicanism’ are arrested on a regular basis?
Another ill-informed remark. Have you any idea of the terrain? Or how to police a line arbitrarily drawn on a map? There were about 30,000 British troops in Northern Ireland in the 1970’s. Add to that the UDR (about 9,000) and RUC (another 9,000 and about 4,000 reservists). At that time the standing strength of the Irish Army was about 12,000 and the Gardaí about 9,000. Go figure.

Yes, that was good, great work even but too little, how many slipped throught the fingers like the John Francis Green murder, the Nairac killing (who was supposed to be invoved in a number of cross border raids himself. But the trouble for the British side was they were

But the the Irish Army & Gardai didn't have to put up with the constant harassment of close border attacks in places like Killen, Crossmaglen, Forkhill, Warrenpoint, Cullyhana,Derryard,Cloghoge, Silverbridge etc...

They were able to pack the border areas out when they wanted to with plenty of time ahead like Lynah & McElwaines funerals. Our when Peter Robinson came to Dundalk.

pedroeibar1

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

Not collusion between Loyalists, or even between the British government even but the 1972 bombings helped tip the debate (of giving the government extreme powers they still use today) in favour of the government motion when before the bombs happened the debate was going against them.

A senior Garda source told Yorkshire Television's Hidden Hand: The Forgotten Massacre in 1993;

The 1972 bombings were the work of the SAS, there's no doubt about it. They were such convient bombs with the Dáil debate going on. That's probably why the article [in the Evening Herald in 1973] appeared. There was a lot of frustration about the SAS role and our inability to do anything about it.

Thats not me suggesting that, and I have no idea if the guy is right or not, but it does seem strange.

Wrong again. The act to which you refer was in force since 1939; there was an amendment proposed in 1972 that was contested but it was generally believed that it would get through. The bombings were a helping factor, which is why there were cries of British collusion. 99.9999% of the population have no issue with the amendment, most people would remain in favour of keeping it.
The bombs were not made/planted by the SAS, as you claim, they were planted by the UVF with some manufacturing help from unknown British security personnel. I suggest you read the Barron Report. Rattling off names of people and villages that almost everyone neither cares nor heard about is a bit pointless.

Fratton Fred

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Wrong again. The act to which you refer was in force since 1939; there was an amendment proposed in 1972 that was contested but it was generally believed that it would get through. The bombings were a helping factor, which is why there were cries of British collusion. 99.9999% of the population have no issue with the amendment, most people would remain in favour of keeping it.
The bombs were not made/planted by the SAS, as you claim, they were planted by the UVF with some manufacturing help from unknown British security personnel. I suggest you read the Barron Report. Rattling off names of people and villages that almost everyone neither cares nor heard about is a bit pointless.

it is a convenient excuse as to why AGS made such a balls of the investigation.

BalcombeSt4

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Wrong again. The act to which you refer was in force since 1939; there was an amendment proposed in 1972 that was contested but it was generally believed that it would get through. The bombings were a helping factor, which is why there were cries of British collusion. 99.9999% of the population have no issue with the amendment, most people would remain in favour of keeping it.
The bombs were not made/planted by the SAS, as you claim, they were planted by the UVF with some manufacturing help from unknown British security personnel. I suggest you read the Barron Report. Rattling off names of people and villages that almost everyone neither cares nor heard about is a bit pointless.

I also forgergot the Catleblaney bombing aswell in 1976.
http://www.dublinmonaghanbombings.org/home/7576incidents.html

I never claimed they were made by the SAS a senior Garda did.

They were not unknow to British or Irish security forces at all. John Weir a former RUC officer, a Special Patrol group officer & UVF Volunteer who was a member of the Glenanne Gang admitted to taking part in a number of attacks in border counties (Armagh, Tyrone, Monaghan etc...) and named Robin Jackson (The Jackal), Robert McConnell, Harris Boyle, William (Frenchie) Merchant & Billy Hana (who served in Korea) as the main men behind alot of cross border attacks, Jackson especially. And the Irish police had a list of names most from the Glenanne gang a few weeks after Dublin/Monaghan.

The bottom line is 46 dead, 500 injured and millions of pounds worth of damage and not one conviction, thats just below poor.

Just look at how the English police chased down rightfully & wrongfully convicted people in England over Republican attacks.

steddyeddy

The problem is they were not unknown to security forces because a substantial number worked for the security forces. They had a lot of help the IRA didn't have.

Halloween Jack

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

Point
your Head

Those who fail to learn from the mistkes of the past are bound to repeat them.

What I was getting at was not just that people were killed but the lack of security in this state. If a ISIL cell ever did want to launch to an attack here then our past record of letting killers getaway would be great for them. The Loyalist bombs bar the 72 - 75 period were very crude devices.

Also was their some political reason these people were let away. People knew the names, Billy hanna, Harris boyle Robert Jackson, Robert McConnell etc...

Not sure Isis select locations for terrorist attacks on the likelihood of arrests afterward, seeing as they are typically, you know... suicide attacks....

BalcombeSt4

Halloween Jack wrote: »

Not sure Isis select locations for terrorist attacks on the likelihood of arrests afterward, seeing as they are typically, you know... suicide attacks....

Usually because the attacker believes he has no way out. Given the record of security against attacks in this state a cell could blow up what they wanted and flot back to the Middle East in a boat.

The Littlejohn brothers the closest thing to a Loyalist cell the Gardai captured in 1972 for a Dublin bank bank robbery and a series of firebombs around Louth managed to let them escape again back to England less than a year after they were sentenced.

BalcombeSt4

I just want to make this clear that I was not suggesting collusion between anybody, I don't believe there was any. I was just interested from a historical point of view if any Loyalist paramilitaries spent time in jails in the south.

It wasn't just UVF attacks in the late 60's - mid 70's either the UDA exploded a series of bombs in bins around Dublin in the 1980's. I'm just interested to know how "terrorists" were able to plant bombs in the capital with pretty primitive timing devices and easily escape back to the North.

If a ISIS type cell in Britain wanted to attack Ireland, they could just get a boat to Belfast, construct their bomb there, drive to Dublin, prime their bomb, drive back to the North and wait until the bomb explodes, potentially massacring dozens of Dublin citizens and there would be nothing we could do about it.

BalcombeSt4

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

I just want to make this clear that I was not suggesting collusion between anybody, I don't believe there was any. I was just interested from a historical point of view if any Loyalist paramilitaries spent time in jails in the south.

It wasn't just UVF attacks in the late 60's - mid 70's either the UDA exploded a series of bombs in bins around Dublin in the 1980's. I'm just interested to know how "terrorists" were able to plant bombs in the capital with pretty primitive timing devices and easily escape back to the North.

If a ISIS type cell in Britain wanted to attack Ireland, they could just get a boat to Belfast, construct their bomb there, drive to Dublin, prime their bomb, drive back to the North and wait until the bomb explodes, potentially massacring dozens of Dublin citizens and there would be nothing we could do about it.

the Mutual defence clause and the solidarity clause in the eu treaty would effectively give terrorists nowhere to hide. Foreign police forces (as demonstrated by the attacks in France) would be obliged to investigate just as diligently as the local police.

Corned Beef Sandwich

I suspect they had sympathizers living in the Republic, just like the IRA had sympathizers in Britain.