In an apparent change of heart, Boston College will not willingly hand over taped interviews with IRA leaders to British authorities. The College is now challenging an order from the court to provide seven tapes to British authorities looking to investigate the kidnapping and murder of Jean McConville in 1972.
Boston.com reports that “US District Court Judge William G. Young wrote that he reviewed 176 transcripts compiled from interviews with 24 people, but only a handful even mention Jean McConville.” British authorities have been investigating the death of McConville, a mother of ten, after her body was recovered in 2003. McConville was murdered in 1972 by the IRA.
Judge Young also noted that there was only one person who “provides information responsive’’ to the incident that British authorities have been investigating for nearly ten years in the tapes. According to Young, “six other interviews make references to McConville and some even mention a ‘shadowy sub-organization with the Irish Republican Army that may or not have had anything to do with the disappearance.’”
Judge Young decided that these seven tapes should be turned over to British authorities for investigation.
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Read More:
Boston College ordered to hand over IRA tapes
IRA victim’s daughter calls for public release of Boston College tapes
US federal judge orders Boston College to hand over more IRA recordings
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“No other materials from Boston College’s archive need to be produced,” said Judge Young. “And in view of the paucity of information unearthed after extensive review by this Court, it declines to review the ‘very few’ audiotapes not yet transcribed.”
While Boston College initially agreed, there is now an apparent change of heart in that they are attempting to challenge the order.
Jack Dunn, a spokesman for Boston College, said that, “The University is seeking further review of the court’s order to ensure that the value of the interviews to the underlying criminal investigation by the Police Service of Northern Ireland outweighs the interests in protecting the confidentiality of academic research materials.”
Anthony McIntyre and Ed Moloney, the journalists behind The Belfast Project, said in a statement that, “We would like to welcome Boston College’s decision to lodge an appeal against the subpoenas served against seven of our interviewees but regret that the college finally took this decision too late to include the interviews of Dolours Price.”
Jean McConville was kidnapped and killed by the IRA, who have claimed responsibility for her death, in 1972 in Belfast under suspicion of being an informant. Some former IRA members, including one subject of The Belfast Project, Dolours Price, have said that Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams ordered the murder. Adams denies the allegations.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Realist | Feb 29, 2012, 04:09 AM EST
seanomelb: Lol. Here's he truth my friend...on 30th January 2012 @ 10:47 you have made a clear and damning statement about Mrs McConville. You have been asked to sustantiate this statement with evidence or proof. You have failed to provide any evidence or proof. Now, what part of that do you not understand?
seanomelb | Feb 27, 2012, 06:04 PM EST
I do not accept what you perceive to be truth realist.I have stated my position over and over,if you fail to accept it so be it who cares. I am done wasting my time here with narrow minded west brits.
Realist | Feb 27, 2012, 11:22 AM EST
seanomelb: I take it you will refrain from printing unsubstantiated statements about Mrs McConville in the future?
seanomelb | Feb 26, 2012, 05:59 PM EST
BTW falls in a Feb poll your hated Sinn Fein now enjoys 25% support in Ireland(Fine Gael 32% Labour10%)and that does not include the Sinn Fein support in the north.The Sinn Fein support in all Ireland may very well be about 30%,do not mean to ruin your day.
seanomelb | Feb 26, 2012, 05:48 PM EST
I have given him alternate points of view made by other people and I have no interest in going over what I have said on numerous occassions. Falls can believe what he likes as can you and I will believe what I perceive to be the truth.Time for falls to move on.BTW he does'nt need a crutch he can fight his own battles.
Realist | Feb 26, 2012, 06:24 AM EST
seanomelb: As Falls (among a few others) has already pointed out, on 30th January 2012 @ 10:47 you stated, and I quote, "One wonders if McConville had not spied for the British would she still be alive today enjoying her children and grand children. How many nationalists were killed or incarcerated(if any) by information given by Mrs McConville to her British handlers." Continue to lie or deny all you like but that is a clear statement not an "alternative point of view" my friend. Therefore, once more I will ask you the same straight question: Would you please support this statement with proof/evidence?
seanomelb | Feb 25, 2012, 06:05 PM EST
falls wehave been down this track before and i merely suggested an alternative point of view.Your inability to understand what I have written is frustrating. You either deliberately misread me or fail to understand.Tom Swinford in a post tried to explain what I'd said and you still do not get it.Putting our point of view and quoting our sources are always subject to argument. We take a stance one way or another. In my view I did not make "damning remarks about McConville I merely offered another explanation.
FallsRNat | Feb 24, 2012, 03:24 PM EST
murph46 are you saying that Boston College are above the US law, I don't think so, they had no right to give their word as it wasn't correct & hasn't stood up in court, it's a bit rich for McIntyre now to hide behind BC on this as he documented the tapes to prove that Adams was in PIRA & was involved in the armed campaign. Richard O'Rawe has also stood by his comments about Adams et al & the sellout of the 1981 hunger stikers & I don't see any PIRA hit team knocking on his door. seanob - what has Mrs McConville's case got to do with the other murders, they will be investigated in their time, quite rightly so, you made some pretty damning remarks about Mrs C which you still haven't provided any proof on. So what that I was in the BA what's that got to do with it, my family were in RA from its inception until 1972 & in the IRB before that, Dolores Price is under arrest for something she said in taped interviews & previous crimes that are bring investigated by HET, she may get off after a trial just like the UVF members who have just been released, depending on the evidence.
RedBranch | Feb 24, 2012, 01:10 PM EST
Maire, the British apologised last year over the killing of Majella O'Hare, thereby accepting responsibility. Strange that there is no hue and cry from SF over releasing DP, the republican's republician....
merefalow | Feb 24, 2012, 10:33 AM EST
not before time.
irismonkey48 | Feb 24, 2012, 10:18 AM EST
Boston College is doing the right thing. Lets hope they have learned the importance of protecting journalism and people involved in their documentary.
IrelandNorth | Feb 24, 2012, 06:16 AM EST
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), i.e. the petitioner in this case, are the heirs apparent of their predecessors, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). The RUC had a justifiable reputation, (at least in the earliest days of the Orange neo-provincial six county statelet of Northrn Ireland) of being an appallingly bigoted and sectarian police force, so bad even the British Government had to disband them, as also their Royal Ulster Regiment (UDR) paramilitary equivalents in the British Army.
maireadinmelb | Feb 24, 2012, 03:27 AM EST
About time Boston College protected its researchers and subjects. Even with their undemocratic laws and juryless courts the brits could not apprehend the killers of Ms McConville, maybe it is Karma for the murders they did not investigate like little Majella O'Hare....
greensod | Feb 23, 2012, 10:13 PM EST
Destroy the dam tapes,Nixon did.
Murph46 | Feb 23, 2012, 05:23 PM EST
sean -can you forward story of Dolores Price to me murphmt@gmail.com
seanomelb | Feb 23, 2012, 05:14 PM EST
Fallsrnat fails to mention the civilians murdered by the British army of which he was a member. His prospective re-invention of history is amusing. Many people died in 1972 and the GFA was supposed to lay that unfortunate part of history to rest.The British are not interested in killings committed by their own terrorist nor asking for interviews which Boston college most probably have for these crimes.There's something else at work here.We now have the return of internment without trial(Dolores Price)and the lifting of republican sympthatisers.Are we having (by stealth) a return to the old oppressive ways?
Murph46 | Feb 23, 2012, 04:33 PM EST
FallsRNat- You are mistaking the issue.The issue is that Boston College gave their word that these tapes would remain "In Confidence" similar to a priest & confession and a newspaper and it's sources.If their word is compromised why would anyone in the future give any interview to any organization.Of course it brought great furor to bring Boston College to realize this.
FallsRNat | Feb 23, 2012, 04:22 PM EST
why don't youse just come over here & piss on Mrs McConville grave, i've heard some crass remarks on this board, but youse lot beggar belief, the paramiltaries on both sides of this bloody conflict murdered nearly 3000 people, the vast majority innocent of any crime, to have a complete open society & rid ourselves of the sigma of these events, we had a Bloody Sunday enquiry, soon to be joined the Irish Govts involvement in the setting up of the PIRA, why not the paramilitaries, just because we have peace doesn't give them a free pass on murder.
canadianirish | Feb 23, 2012, 03:25 PM EST
uh RedBranch, I think the poster is referring to the tapes in question being destroyed..as well they should.
Searlit | Feb 23, 2012, 01:52 PM EST
They're close to starting another Boston (Tape) Party. They've only now realized that.
RedBranch | Feb 23, 2012, 01:19 PM EST
Why the big move to destroy these tapes? Judical review has shown that there is only a small sample specific and relevant, thus only a small sample will be released. I would be most surprised if there are any new revealations. By this stage even the dogs on the street know what went on. For its size the Ulster troubles are the most studied conflicts of the modern era. Effort went into making them, they should be left to bear testament to the times that made them...
seagreen | Feb 23, 2012, 12:46 PM EST
Its about time Boston College fessed up to the situation they have caused... Judge Young, or no judge Young, get rid of the tapes. Burn them , have them stolen by people that do burn them, and face the charge of with holding evidence. (that charge will fade away in Massachusetts) That is far more preferable than re igniting bloodshed that so many have worked so hard to bring to an end. Perhaps Boston College would not like to be known as the educational institution that was /is responsible for death rather than academics....
SeamusMartin | Feb 23, 2012, 12:00 PM EST
Destroy the bloody tapes! Enough blood has been shed.
cillowen | Feb 23, 2012, 11:49 AM EST
this shiite keeps paddies in a stinking barricaded state be it in north or south or in the diaspora. Has them slinking about like pavlov's dogs. Nice work by the man. Telly of Republic of RTE reveals the damage.
DaithiSuibhne | Feb 23, 2012, 11:43 AM EST
I thought I read that the materials were already handed over to the 'authorities' in late December. Could anyone clarify this for me?
Murph46 | Feb 23, 2012, 11:00 AM EST
My God someone showed some common sense!I'd like to have been a mouse in someones pocket when that decision was deliberated.
CitizenWhy | Feb 23, 2012, 10:46 AM EST
Thank God. All this exaggerated police power has no place in a democracy nor in the pursuit of knowledge without intimidation.