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Former minister for defence Paul Kehoe has called on Sinn Féin to distance itself from a commemoration for a former IRA bomber that was cancelled because of an online backlash.
Mr Kehoe said it was “shocking” a commemoration was being promoted to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of IRA volunteer Ed O’Brien.
O’Brien (21), from Gorey, Co Wexford, died instantly when an improvised explosive device he was carrying detonated prematurely on the number 171 bus in Aldwych, in central London, on February 18th, 1996.
Eight other people were injured in the blast, including Irish man Brendan Woolhead, from Swords, Co Dublin.
Mr Kehoe said it had been intended to host the online commemoration on the Wexford Sinn Féin Facebook page.
Mr Kehoe, who served as minister in the previous government, said: “The revelation is further evidence of the party’s connections to the IRA, who were responsible for acts of terrorism, bloodshed and violence for decades.
“Online notices describe Edward O’Brien, who was killed when the device he was carrying detonated on a bus, as a member of Óglaigh na hÉireann, the Irish language name for the Defence Forces of the State.
“Describing this individual as an ‘oglach’ or member of ‘Óglaigh na hÉireann’ is most disrespectful to our Defence Forces. The men and women of our Defence Forces are peacekeepers not bus bombers,” Mr Kehoe said.
“The leadership of Sinn Féin must exercise authority over their councillors and supporters, and the party must as a matter of urgency disassociate itself from this shameful commemoration and admit that what was carried out by Edward O’Brien was a violent crime.
“An image has also been circulated online of a commemorative plague with an image of O’Brien beside the Wexford GAA logo, which is totally unacceptable. The GAA is an apolitical organisation.”
The 25th anniversary commemoration for O’Brien was due to go ahead on the Sinn Féin Wexford Facebook page at 8.30pm on Thursday.
An image promoting the commemoration had superimposed the Tricolour with a photograph of O’Brien and the inscription “forever in our hearts” along with the Wexford GAA crest.
The cancellation of the commemoration was announced on the Facebook page of Wexford Sinn Féin councillor Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin, who stated: “The Edward O’Brien online commemoration, which was organised by Ed’s father Miley and supported by Sinn Féin, has been cancelled at the request of family, due to significant online abuse targeting the family.”
The Aldwych incident occurred nine days after a bombing at Canary Wharf which ended a 17-month IRA ceasefire. That bombing incident killed two people.
The IRA announced that it was halting the ceasefire because of British government demands that it unilaterally disarm.
No suspicion
O’Brien had known republican sympathies and used to sell An Phoblacht on the streets of Gorey, but his family had no suspicion he was involved in the IRA.
When he went to Britain in 1995, they thought he was working on a building site in Glasgow.
It was only when gardaí called to the family home after his death that his parents knew he was involved in the IRA.
The family later issued a statement through their solicitor unreservedly condemning all paramilitary organisations.
The statement said that O’Brien had had no involvement whatsoever in any illegal organisation while he lived in the family home in Gorey.
“Neither they, nor any member of their extended family, have, or have ever had, any involvement of any description with any paramilitary grouping,” the statement said.
During an extended police search of O’Brien’s apartment in Lewisham, south London, police found what they described as a “considerable quantity of bomb-making equipment”, including Semtex, detonators and incendiary equipment, along with a 9mm Walther revolver.
Speaking at the time of O’Brien’s death, Gorey priest Fr Walter Forde told the IRA at the request of the family to stay away from the funeral and not to have any paramilitary paraphernalia there.
‘Deeply offensive’
Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar had described the planned commemoration as “deeply offensive” and called on Sinn Féin to disassociate itself from the event and to condemn the bomb incident, and for the commemoration to be cancelled.
Mr Varadkar said O’Brien’s family did not support the commemoration.
Mr Varadkar raised the issue when Wexford Sinn Féin TD Johnny Mythen asked him a question on the order of business about prioritising family carers to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
The Tánaiste told him the issue was being considered by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and then said: “It would be remiss of me not to raise my concerns here about the commemoration being organised by Sinn Féin in Wexford, in the Deputy’s constituency, in relation to the Edward O’Brien bus bomb.”
He told Mr Mythen: “This is a deeply offensive commemoration.”
Sinn Féin Waterford TD David Cullinane intervened and said “this is a disgraceful abuse of the House”.
When Mr Varadkar continued speaking on the issue the Leas-Cheann Comhairle thanked him but said she was moving on to the next issue and asked for his co-operation.
However, the Tánaiste continued, including saying: “I would call on Sinn Féin to disassociate itself from the commemoration, to call for it to be cancelled and to condemn the violent crime which this bus bomb was.”