SF lobbied for return of on the run IRA man later killed by his former comrades

Shooting dead of Kevin Mcguigan in 2015 sparked crisis that almost toppled Stormont

SINN Féin pressed to get on the run Provo Kevin Mcguigan back into Northern Ireland in 2000 — 15 years before the IRA would murder him, a declassified government file has revealed.

Mr Mcguigan’s killing in August 2015 led to a political crisis that almost toppled devolution.

It’s believed the father-ofeight had been responsible for the shooting dead of former IRA commander Gerard ‘Jock’ Davison three months earlier, and his execution was in revenge.

Sinn Féin had claimed the IRA had fully decommissioned and disbanded. Yet it was obvious both claims were untrue when IRA members shot dead their former comrade in Belfast.

London commissioned the PSNI and MI5 to produce a joint security assessment.

It stated the IRA had retained some weapons and its ‘Army Council’ continued to exist, with a belief by republicans it controlled Sinn Féin, along with other IRA ‘departments’.

But while Mr Mcguigan’s name would become widely known in 2015, in 2000 it meant nothing to Downing Street, documents discovered by the Belfast Telegraph in the National Archives reveal.

On September 26, 2000, Tony Blair’s chief of staff Jonathan Powell wrote to Gerry Adams in bewilderment.

The Sinn Féin president had handed over a list of on the run (OTR) IRA members who were a priority for the party. Sinn Féin wanted them to be given legal assurances that they could return without fear of prosecution or imprisonment.

However, Mr Powell wrote: “We still do not have enough information on three names from the list of OTRS to be able to process them. We have no information at all on Seamus Drumm and Kevin Mcguigan.

“Although you have told us who Marion Coyle is, we have no idea why she feels unable to return to Northern Ireland.

“Perhaps... you could let me have more information on these cases if you wish us to process them.”

A month later Mr Powell wrote to senior NIO official Bill Jeffrey to say: “I attach a letter I have received from Gerry Adams in response to a letter I sent asking for further information on Seamus Drumm and Kevin Mcguigan on behalf of the Attorney General. In the letter he seems to have responded with rather more information than I sought and a series of questions.”

In Mr Adams’ letter, he referred to “Seamus Drumm, dob 19.3.48, is formerly of 85 Tullymore Gardens, Belfast. He was served with a Requirement Order, a copy of which is enclosed.

I trust you will be able to obtain the necessary information from it.”

He went on: “Kevin Mcguigan, dob 8.12.61, is formerly of 5 Comber Court, Belfast. He was arrested on 20.8.93 and charged with GBH.

“He was released on bail in December 1994 and failed to turn up for his trial.”