The federal court has ordered Boston College to turn over transcripts and recordings to the US prosecutors who subpoenaed the material to aid British investigators in the case of the 1972 killing of Jean McConville.
Judge William Young issued this five-page ruling Friday amid allegations that Gerry Adams, the president of the Sinn Fein party, commanded the IRA unit responsible for ordering McConville's death and secret burial.
Boston College has said that it will consider its legal options following this latest order.
Jack Dunn, a spokesman for the college, told the Boston Globe “We are disappointed with (Young's) ruling in light of the effect it will have on the enterprise of oral history…We will take the time allotted us to review our legal options, which include the right to appeal this decision."
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Read More:
The real truth about the Boston College taped IRA interviews
The Boston College IRA tapes controversy -- A reply to Niall O’Dowd
Boston College legal battle could mean Gerry Adams goes to trial over IRA
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Critics of the ruling believe that releasing this information could harm former IRA members who are now elected officials in Northern Ireland.
Two weeks ago, Ed Moloney, a former Belfast journalist who directed Boston College's oral history project told ABC News “Imagine if these interviews are delivered to the police and their contents come out in court… There'll be a hue and cry for Gerry Adams' political scalp.”
Moloney and Anthony McIntyre ( a former IRA member who collected the interviews) went to court to try to keep this tapes form the Belfast police.
They say that originally they had been promised the tapes would remain confidential and beyond the British law as long as they lived.
Judge William Young issued the a five-page ruling on Friday.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.redhand32 | Jan 25, 2012, 09:57 AM EST
The butcher's apron never forgets. This is just part of the obsession to 1) declare final "victory" over Irish Republicanism; and 2) against a backdrop of a Nationalist/Catholic majority sooner than they hoped to derail a certain 32 county Irish Republic by copper fastening vilification of political Republicanism. Notably, the Anglo media coat holders are playing a full court press in the wake of this. PBS and other networks in the last week have aired "Patriot Games," and that 1950s black and white anti-Irish Republican film (I cannot recall the name). All the "green beer" parade types are being doused with inflammatory Irish Republican "villainy." Instead of a South African style legitimate reconciliation process we get a more user-friendly Troubles.
IrelandNorth | Jan 25, 2012, 08:06 AM EST
Anglo-American academic/judicial collaborators should stop assisting the British (English) ruling-class in subverting the north-eastern Ireland peace process. What Gearoid Mac Amh did or ding not do is a matter between him and his creator. We all have to answer to the just judge one day. Would George Washington or Paul Revere have handed over the Declaration of Independence to the Redcoats?
MollyMaureen | Jan 24, 2012, 01:50 PM EST
To Editors: Ooops...please use the second submission. Thank you.
Murph46 | Jan 24, 2012, 12:32 PM EST
Sure was a promise of secrecy!
mactire | Jan 24, 2012, 10:04 AM EST
Moloney and McIntyre's complaints ring hollow when they have already broadcast and published at least some of the very material they now say is is sacrosanct. Their ineptitude (or was it deliberate?) is there for all to see.