Woman would 'be dead' if informing at level alleged

The woman whose allegations of bogus arms finds are being investigated by the Morris tribunal would be dead if she were a genuine…

The woman whose allegations of bogus arms finds are being investigated by the Morris tribunal would be dead if she were a genuine informer on the scale alleged, a senior garda has said.

Chief Supt Tom Monaghan served as Border superintendent in Donegal between November 1988 and July 1990.

Referring to "huge finds" alleged IRA informer Ms Adrienne McGlinchey reputedly led detectives to, Mr Paul Murray, for Ms McGlinchey, asked: "If she were informing to that extent, and had knowledge to that extent, am I correct in thinking - in very bald terms - she would now be dead?"

"I believe that would be a very distinct probability," Chief Supt Monaghan replied.

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Mr Justice Frederick Morris asked the witness his opinion of evidence that Ms McGlinchey got information from "pillow talk" with an IRA member. The chief superintendent said this was unlikely. "If some of their operatives were keeping company with people who were likely to create a risk for them, they'd switch that off very quickly."

Ms McGlinchey's associates "were serious IRA people", Chief Supt Monaghan said. "I believe they would not be leaking that type of information, and never did."

Advance information about a find at Rossnowlagh, where a caravan loaded with explosives and a special hitching device was to be used to attack a checkpoint, "was real insider information", he said. "That was grade A stuff. She wouldn't have that information by simply being somebody who was a courier or being someone who was employed by the IRA to create a diversion. Information about an operation of that nature - you're talking at a very high command level within the IRA."

The tribunal is currently investigating claims that two Donegal gardaí, Det Noel McMahon and Supt Kevin Lennon, prepared explosives, together with Ms Adrienne McGlinchey, for use in bogus finds. Both gardaí deny these allegations, and Ms McGlinchey denies she was ever an informer or IRA member.

Chief Supt Monaghan said he first heard about alleged IRA informer Ms Adrienne McGlinchey in 1989, shortly after arriving in Letterkenny, when another garda told him Senator Bernard McGlinchey had approached gardaí with concerns about his daughter, Adrienne.

"She had left home. The words he used was that she was kicking up a bit, rebelling at home, and keeping company he wasn't happy about in Letterkenny, with some suspected IRA people."

The chief superintendent said that in 1989 a report was written following a car crash involving Ms McGlinchey's car. The car was driven by two youths, who ran off. It was later established these youths were not in the IRA.

Det Garda Bobby Mullally wrote a report about the incident, in which he said the IRA would be likely to use Ms McGlinchey to run errands.

"The incident created quite a level of suspicion at the time," Chief Supt Monaghan said.

The tribunal will resume on April 20th.