Murdered Ambassador rememberd 25 years on
President Mary McAleese and members of the British and Irish Governments were among the congregation at a memorial service in Dublin today for British Ambassador to Ireland Christopher Ewart-Biggs.
Ambassador Biggs was murdered by the IRA 25 years ago this weekend.
The envoy, together with Northern Ireland Office private secretary, Judith Cooke, was killed when a landmine blew up their armour-plated official car yards from the gates of Mr Ewart-Biggs’ official residence in South Dublin on July 21, 1976.
Northern Ireland Office permanent under-secretary, Brian Cubbon, and driver, Brian O’Driscoll, survived the attack but were seriously injured.
Mr O’Driscoll, who is still employed at the British Embassy in Dublin, was also at today’s memorial ceremony in the city’s St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral.
Mr Ewart-Biggs had arrived in Dublin to take up his posting 12 days before the fatal attack.
The IRA later admitted causing the blast - maintaining that the ambassador had been sent to Dublin to co-ordinate intelligence activities - but no one has ever been charged with the murders.
Afterwards the envoy’s widow, Jane, who later became a Labour peer and worked for peace in Ireland, established an annually-awarded literary prize in memory of her husband.
Lady Ewart-Biggs died in 1992.
Foreign Minister Brian Cowen led the Irish representation at the St Patrick’s Cathedral service.
A British Government group was headed by Foreign Office Minister of State, Baroness Amos.
Both ministers read a lesson and in an address the present day ambassador, Sir Ivor Roberts, described his murdered predecessor as ‘‘a diplomat of great intellect, devoted to his work.’’
And he recalled that in a briefing with journalists the day before he died, El Alamein veteran Mr Ewart-Biggs, who lost an eye in that conflict and wore a monocle as a consequence, declared: ‘‘I have one prejudice, acquired during the war - a very distinct and strong prejudice against violence for political ends.’’
Sir Ivor said: ‘‘If the last 30 years have taught us anything down the miserable
catalogue of 3,000 lost lives in every quarter of the communities in Northern Ireland, it is that the physical force tradition has been shown to have run its course.
‘‘And we have heard welcome, if belated, recognition of that from the leadership of the Republican movement.’’
The ambassador added of the ‘‘evil men’’ behind the murder: ‘‘They were unable to bury the ideals of reconciliation on this island for which Christopher Ewart-Biggs stood, which his death paradoxically helped entrench more firmly and which today we have never been closer to achieving.’’
