SECURITY ALONG DONEGAL BORDER STEPS UP
Statement expected from Garda Commissioner
Security along Donegal border steps up
By Ciaran O'Donnell
As Buncrana came to a complete and eerie standstill yesterday to bury the town's three young victims killed by the bomb blast in Omagh last Saturday afternoon, the Cabinet met to draw up revised security measures which, when implemented, will attempt to weed out those associated with fringe Republican dissident groups.
And Donegal, like the rest of the border counties, is expected to have its security level increased significantly as the realisation of what took place in a nearby thriving Tyrone town five days' ago slowly begins to sink in.
WHILE not a whole lot is actually known about the Real IRA, the breakaway faction which admitted responsibility for planting the car-bomb, reliable sources have indicated that anything up to a dozen of its relatively small membership are from Donegal. The majority of these are understood to come the South Donegal/North Leitirm which is reported as being one of its few power bases. So far. however, no arrests have been made in the region. Gardai have already moved most of its undercover and specialist armed units to the Border area to support the massive investigation into the bombing. Members of both the Emergency Response Unit and the Surveillance Unit have had leave cancelled. With quantities of arms and explosives believed to be stored in a number of locations along the Donegal border, searches of hinterland areas are possible. While Garda chiefs were determined not to divulge any information ahead of an expected statement by the Garda Commissioner yesterday, Superintendent John Farrelly of the Garda Press Office did make it clear that security right across the border will be stepped up.
Supt. Farrelly also confirmed that the Donegal registered red Vauxhall Cavalier used in the Omagh blast had been stolen from McCartan's Terrace in Carrickmacross some time between Wednesday at 11 p.m. and Thursday at 3.30 a.m. Before it was stolen, the car bore the number plate 91 DL 2554. While the RUC are still unclear exactly what letters and digits were on the number plate it was fitted after the theft, they are satisfied that it was a Northern Ireland registration. As a mark of respect to the three young Buncrana boys killed in what was the biggest life-taking atrocity in the Northern Ireland, the town of Letterkenny closed for businesses between 12 noon and 12.15 p.m.
While the implications of the Omagh barbarity will take some time to become clear, the steady flow of Donegal shoppers into Northern Ireland is expected to lessen considerably, for the time being at least.
Security along Donegal border steps up
By Ciaran O'Donnell
As Buncrana came to a complete and eerie standstill yesterday to bury the town's three young victims killed by the bomb blast in Omagh last Saturday afternoon, the Cabinet met to draw up revised security measures which, when implemented, will attempt to weed out those associated with fringe Republican dissident groups.
And Donegal, like the rest of the border counties, is expected to have its security level increased significantly as the realisation of what took place in a nearby thriving Tyrone town five days' ago slowly begins to sink in.
WHILE not a whole lot is actually known about the Real IRA, the breakaway faction which admitted responsibility for planting the car-bomb, reliable sources have indicated that anything up to a dozen of its relatively small membership are from Donegal. The majority of these are understood to come the South Donegal/North Leitirm which is reported as being one of its few power bases. So far. however, no arrests have been made in the region. Gardai have already moved most of its undercover and specialist armed units to the Border area to support the massive investigation into the bombing. Members of both the Emergency Response Unit and the Surveillance Unit have had leave cancelled. With quantities of arms and explosives believed to be stored in a number of locations along the Donegal border, searches of hinterland areas are possible. While Garda chiefs were determined not to divulge any information ahead of an expected statement by the Garda Commissioner yesterday, Superintendent John Farrelly of the Garda Press Office did make it clear that security right across the border will be stepped up.
Supt. Farrelly also confirmed that the Donegal registered red Vauxhall Cavalier used in the Omagh blast had been stolen from McCartan's Terrace in Carrickmacross some time between Wednesday at 11 p.m. and Thursday at 3.30 a.m. Before it was stolen, the car bore the number plate 91 DL 2554. While the RUC are still unclear exactly what letters and digits were on the number plate it was fitted after the theft, they are satisfied that it was a Northern Ireland registration. As a mark of respect to the three young Buncrana boys killed in what was the biggest life-taking atrocity in the Northern Ireland, the town of Letterkenny closed for businesses between 12 noon and 12.15 p.m.
While the implications of the Omagh barbarity will take some time to become clear, the steady flow of Donegal shoppers into Northern Ireland is expected to lessen considerably, for the time being at least.
Further Information
Publisher: DONEGAL DEMOCRAT
Ref: DOD/012
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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