SAOIRSE32

By Tim Moynihan
December 28, 2007
Belfast Telegraph

The depth of the British Government’s concern after eight SAS soldiers were held when they strayed into the Republic in 1976 is revealed in papers released today by the National Archives.

London kept up a diplomatic onslaught on Dublin which included telephone contact between Prime Minister James Callaghan and his Irish opposite number Liam Cosgrave in the run-up to the men’s two day trial in March 1977.

They were acquitted on the more serious charge of possessing firearms with intent to endanger life and fined £100 each on the minor charge of possessing unlicensed firearms, to which they pleaded guilty.

Callaghan expressed his relief to Cosgrave on the outcome but Britain’s ambassador to Dublin, Robin Haydon, was moved to point out in a memo: ” The Irish have learnt a lesson and will go to some lengths to avoid a repetition.”

The men were held after straying across the border early on May 6, 1976.

A memo from the Northern Ireland Office said they were in three cars and were detained at a Garda checkpoint 300 to 400 metres inside the Republic.

Two were in the uniform of the Parachute Regiment, the remaining six in civilian clothes, and they were armed with a total of 11 weapons.

The British made immediate efforts to have them freed, but a note to the Prime Minister said: “The Irish Government claim (as no doubt we would in similar circumstances) that they can do nothing to intervene with the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

They appeared in court on the evening of May 6 and were granted bail in the sum of £5,000 each, the British authorities depositing a cheque for £40,000 with the court.

In the months that followed there was heart-searching about whether the men should return for trial and intense efforts by the British failed to head off court proceedings.

Northern Ireland Secretary Merlyn Rees told Callaghan: “The facts of the incursion are clear. There was never any intention to cross the border… Given the terrain, experience has shown how difficult it is to guarantee that accidental incursions of this kind are avoided entirely.”

The nub of the matter “may be less a question of the Irish Attorney’s powers than the Irish Government’s political will to intervene. Because of political and public opinion constraints they will be most reluctant to be seen to be giving in to political pressure from us.”

Rees met Irish ministers in Dublin on May 28, and briefed Callaghan: ” To sum up: the Irish are now unmistakably aware of our concern and of the danger to our mutual security interests which would follow from a hitch in the case.”

However, as the trial date of March 7, 1977 approached, concern intensified with no sign of the charges being dropped.

Six days before the trial, Callaghan sent a message to the Taoiseach warning that if matters were to go wrong, “the consequences for evil between our two countries will be incalculable”.

Cosgrave wrote back saying: “I do not think that the question of detention will arise but if it does you can be assured that it will be in a military barracks.”

And he added: “… our best advice is that it is extremely unlikely that there will be a prison sentence.”