McCabe killing: Sinn Féin 'must name authorised officer'

07/06/2006 - 09:44:26
Sinn Féin must name the “authorised officer” who sanctioned a post office raid that resulted in the killing of Det Garda Jerry McCabe, it was claimed today.

Former colleagues of garda McCabe are gathering in Limerick tomorrow for a private memorial to mark the 10th anniversary of his brutal killing by an IRA gang.

He was shot dead on June 7 1996, in Adare, Co Limerick during an attempted IRA raid on a post office van in the town.

Speaking after last night’s RTE True Lives programme on the issue, Murder on Main Street, Senator John Minihan said Sinn Féin’s disregard for institutions of the Irish state and its servants had been exposed.

“I have always argued that the killing of Jerry McCabe was intentional, calculated and cold-blooded.

“Last night’s programme re-enforced my belief,” he said.

Sinn Féin had called for the four men jailed for the incident to be released under the Good Friday Agreement, but the Government was forced to back down after a public outcry sparked by the outrage of widow Ann.

Senator Minihan, a PD general election candidate in Cork South Central, said Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, having first denied any IRA involvement, went on to state that the killing of Jerry McCabe was wrong and that it had been authorised at a low level by a so-called “authorised” person.

“If Mr Adams believes the killing was wrong he has an obligation to name that ’authorised officer’,” the senator said.

Senator Minihan added that he could not accept the claims of Kerry North TD Martin Ferris that he was entirely ignorant of the circumstances of the killing.

“As a member of Dáil Éireann he too is duty-bound to name the ’authorised officer’.

“The Irish people deserve better and it saddens me that some are willing to put up with this two-fingered salute from the double act of Adams and Ferris.”

“Jerry died to protect this peaceful society. And this peace must be defended by all right-thinking people.”