Mattie McGrath on Canova report, legacy cases and justice

Margaret, I'm glad to be able to speak today on the Canova report and indeed compliment people who researched and presented it. And we have had a long history here in the north of Ireland and the UK but we're not so squeaky clean here ourselves. And I compliment you, Minister, since you've come into the Justice Department. You seem to be making stellar efforts to try and have a more hands-on approach, have a more open and honest and transparent approach and it's badly needed. But the legacy of events that went on, the Sean Brown case was mentioned and that was so sad because Sean Brown, to everybody's knowledge, was nothing to do with any political party but he was a GA man, two and two. And they were locking up his GA club as many volunteers do up and down the 32 counties, our national game and, you know, to be so cruelly executed. As I said, if we're having legislation here as a result of this or in the future, we can't possibly have a situation where the Secretary of State has in the UK legislation that they have a veto of Italy on what can be debated or discussed or raised. And that can't happen. And we know there's a murky past, you know, since the time of the War of Independence and Civil War and long before that, and the famine even, to go back if you want to, but all these cases, and I think of the Miami show band, some of them from my own constituency of Carrick and Shure, and what happened to those groups that were a vicious, vicious assassination attempt on groups that were giving entertainment to all people alike. And indeed, Deputy Corrie mentioned, and I have been in Dunnockmore many times, and she mentioned her own case there, you know, and that should be sorted. But there's too many cases where too much trauma and anguish has been bestowed on families without their asking for anything else. And I remember, in the case in Oktatly as well, another young man, just going to work in Monaghan town and walking through a checkpoint. And the name alludes me now, but the story told that the soldier, British soldiers, rifle slipped to the wet day, and the rifle slipped, and the bullet ricocheted off the ground. Total, absolute, absurd lies. Absurd lies. The same gentleman who worked with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, in Monaghan, in a meat factory at the time, and he was harassed every day, going up and down to that border point, lots of clay, when I crossed hundreds of times myself. And so many others as well, and they're here, and indeed, you know, the Dublin-Monaghan bombs, and the Dinean gang, who happened to be in Dublin, that particular day on the school tour. Scary, scary event, Dublin-Monaghan bombs. And no truth in that either. And of course, the Omen bomb, Minister. You and I differed on opinions on the Omen bomb. A number of times. And the Omen bomb, also. What an atrocity. I was on my way to Omen that day, and I got to the morning after. Such a devastation. And I've worked closely with Mr. Michael Gallagher and others over the years, and they're fighting for justice as well. And indeed, Minister, we can also, and I know you have been open, have moved, situation on regarding Lucy O'Fall, nothing to do with paramilitarism. But what happened to her son of Jane, and the travesty of injustice, and the fact that those, the driver of that car, and the cops has had numerous custodial sentences hanging over them and were stopped at the gathering, and they shouldn't have been allowed to go on. And we saw the battle that Lucy O'Fall has had on her hands to try and get justice for her son, a lovely son that was swept away unceremoniously. So I'm glad to be able to get this a few minutes to talk. And with your permission, Les Cahilloch, I want to welcome a group from Colarcha, to the gallery for my own talk to you today, and I hope you enjoy your trip to Dáil and to Dublin. Thank you.