Boston College academics kept book royalties on IRA oral history project

Originally had said proceeds would go to BC to fund new studies

The Boston College IRA files controversy took another strange twist on Sunday when it was revealed that the Boston College principals made money from the book associated with the interviews, “Voices from the Grave” .

That money was originally thought to have gone to the Irish department for future victim studies and ongoing costs associated with the project at Boston College as per email from one of the academics involved.

Professor Tom Hatchley of Boston College, Director of the Irish Studies program, had written in an email to author and project originator Ed Moloney that “We would be entirely supportive of a three- way split of future royalties in which Ed might very well might get half with Burns (library)  and the (Irish) Center splitting the balance. Bob could use the income for existing claims in his budget for the Project, while I would use any Center revenue for seed money for a victim study,’ which he goes on to refer to.’

However, it has now been revealed that the two Boston College academics kept the money themselves from the book royalties.

The transcripts from the project are being sought by the British government and a Boston judge has agreed to hand some over. Boston College is now disputing the handover.

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A major controversy developed over whether IRA and Ulster Loyalist participants in the tapes project were aware that their testimony could be subpoenaed and used in criminal cases. Boston College says they were, while Moloney and fellow researcher Anthony McIntyre says they were assured by the college of complete confidentiality.

It was thought that any proceeds would go to future research for Irish projects at Boston College, but it has now been revealed that the book royalties were split between author Ed Moloney, head of the oral history project, Burns Library Librarian Robert O’Neill, and Professor Tom Hatchey, Director of the Center for Irish Studies at the college.

Moloney took 50 per cent while the other two took 25 per cent each.

Earlier, Moloney was accused by Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn of seeking to profit from the book and that his eagerness to do so had made him careless about the limitations of confidentiality.

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Nster.com