Northern Ireland

‘No Hiding Place’ for IRA – On This Day in 1974

Liam Cosgrave was the son of WT Cosgrave, who was head of the state's first government from 1922 to 1932
Former taoiseach Liam Cosgrave was the son of WT Cosgrave, who was head of the state's first government from 1922 to 1932
By Cormac Moore

January 3 1974

Nine men were arrested by gardaí last night following yesterday’s “no hiding place” move against the IRA in Dublin. Four of the men were held at Monaghan and the others in Dundalk. They were still being questioned early today.

Their detention follows the Irish Government’s decision to invoke dormant sections of the Offences Against the State Act in a clampdown on the IRA – part of the undertaking given at the recent Sunningdale talks.

But the Dublin announcement caused little surprise in Northern Ireland last night. It was confidently tipped that the Taoiseach, Mr Liam Cosgrave, would make some anti-IRA announcement before tomorrow’s all-important meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council. He was well aware of the dangers that could arise if Unionist leader Mr Brian Faulkner was defeated at that conference.

Should his right-wing opponents push through a motion rejecting the Sunningdale communique, the whole concept of a Council of Ireland would be in jeopardy. And many observers feel that tomorrow’s vote by the 900-strong Unionist Council will be desperately close.

At the last Council meeting Mr Faulkner scraped through by 10 votes.

Last night his right-wing opponents were confident of victory tomorrow – and Mr Faulkner’s inevitable resignation. It was understood they had already drawn up plans to take over Unionist headquarters machinery, prior to demands to re-negotiate power-sharing.

In an effort to help Brian Faulkner secure internal support within the Ulster Unionist Party, the Irish government put on a demonstration to show it was taken its security responsibilities against the IRA seriously by the gardaí making a number of arrests close to the border. Ultimately, Faulkner was defeated though, as the Ulster Unionist Council rejected the Sunningdale agreement by 454 votes to 374 days later.

Arabs and IRA “in link-up”

Palestinian guerrillas and the IRA have agreed to carry out joint acts of terrorism in Britain, it was reported in Beirut yesterday.

The Beirut daily newspaper “Al Liwa”, which is close to the guerrillas, quoted a guerrilla source as saying the cooperation between the guerrillas and the IRA began with the recent explosions in London.

The paper did not say which of the dozen guerrilla organisations was co-operating with the IRA.

The most recent attack by Palestinians in London was the shooting on Sunday of Jewish businessman Mr Joseph E Sieff. The Marxist popular front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed responsibility.

The IRA’s links with PLO groups such as the PFLP and Fatah, as well as Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya, continued and intensified throughout the Troubles.