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New fears about Boston College and confidential documents they hold

Papers on decommissioning of IRA arms may also be in jeopardy

By
CATHAL DERVAN,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Friday, January 13, 2012, 7:16 AM
Updated Friday, January 13, 2012, 3:18 PM

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Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin
Photo by Google Images


New fears about the confidentiality of secret papers about IRA and Loyalist arms decommissioning held at Boston College have been expressed by Ireland’s main opposition leader Michael Martin.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said: “It is of major concern that the IICD (Independent International Commission on Decommissioning) documents are being held at the US college.

“These papers catalogue the details of the engagement of paramilitary groups with the  decommissioning process and for reasons of security and safety it is imperative that these papers are not made public for a sufficient period of time. Martin said the papers should never have been given to BC.

“What is of major concern is that these papers have been given to an institution outside the island of Ireland which is now involved in a major controversy about protecting the integrity of its sealed archive.”

Boston College has again insisted that all documentation it holds in its archive from Irish paramilitaries will remain confidential for 30 years.

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The American institution received the decommissioning papers from the Irish and British governments.

Now, faced with a legal challenge by the British authorities on a separate oral history project and in the eye of a political storm in the Republic, Boston College bosses have stated that they will not release the decommissioning documents.

The International Independent Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) presented its final report to the British and Irish governments in 2011.

It contains highly secret files on how the IRA and Loyalist accomplished decommissioning, who took part, where arms bunkers were and the often tense negotiations.

In a statement to the BBC, Boston College said: “There is no conceivable reason why the British or Irish governments, which set the terms for the International Independent Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) papers when they were sent to the college, would break those terms.”

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9 Comments

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IrelandNorth | Jan 16, 2012, 08:03 AM EST
bogsidebunny! Are you sure your not watersidehare? The British government kept their papers on the 1916 Rising underwraps for ninety years, such was the controversality of their hamfisted military's unthinking reaction to it under DORA, just like Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972. Pittsburghkid, "blowing up things ..." is called urban guerilla warfare against occupation forces, pioneered by Michael Collins. Loss of life is regrettable. but violence is the language of the unheard. Injustice spawns reactionary political violence.

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Pittsburghkid | Jan 13, 2012, 04:14 PM EST
Documents and secret papers have no part in the IRA. They deserve to be put in jail for stupidity. This blowing up things is stupid. Northern Irish Catholics are going to get their rights, because they have more children then the Protestants. Abortion will kill the Protestant Northern Irish Culture, like it is killing the American Culture.

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Nelsonbarry | Jan 13, 2012, 03:32 PM EST
I'll tell you, if that was me, there would be a lightning strike and everything would get burned up.

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Nicomax | Jan 13, 2012, 01:07 PM EST
Before Boston College gives up anything to the British, they should receive a sincere apology from the royal family and Parliament as to how poorly they treated the Irish in Ireland over the centuries. Plus, it continued in Boston as the WASP did all they could to hold back the growing Irish immigrant population, which then resulted in the establishment of Boston College in 1863 to provide education for these oppressed Irish families.

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Searlit | Jan 13, 2012, 12:17 PM EST
It reminds me of the Treaty Stone of Limerick, only that treaty was broken the following day. Will the British never learn?

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Murph46 | Jan 13, 2012, 11:50 AM EST
The point Johnnyb is that they were promised confidentially and now that's gone.

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johhnyb | Jan 13, 2012, 10:20 AM EST
Sure they're all innocent, at worse misguided. So what could these papers possibly reveal?

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Murph46 | Jan 13, 2012, 09:36 AM EST
WOW go figure this coulda happened!

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BillyFitz | Jan 13, 2012, 08:24 AM EST
I'm still at a loss as to why any Republican or Loyalist would volunteer for this "project"? Did they really think this wasn't going to happen? Scratching my head.

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