{"id":238037,"date":"2026-01-10T15:47:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T15:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/238037\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T15:47:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T15:47:08","slug":"file-claiming-gerry-kelly-was-key-ira-figure-in-1990s-removed-from-dublin-archives-at-request-of-irish-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/238037\/","title":{"rendered":"File claiming Gerry Kelly was key IRA figure in 1990s \u2018removed from Dublin archives at request of Irish government\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was among documents recently declassified in Dublin under the 20 and 30-year rules.<\/p>\n

However, the file has now been withdrawn, according to The Irish Times<\/a>, who reported it was at the request of Ireland\u2019s Department of Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n

The department, Sinn Fein and Mr Kelly have all been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n

According to The Irish Times, the file was pulled following \u201curgent consultations between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice\u201d in the Republic.<\/p>\n

Government files are released annually under the 20 and 30-year rules in Dublin, as well as in London and Belfast.<\/p>\n

They contain previously confidential summaries – often frank in nature – of political and security issues from the time.<\/p>\n

The Irish Times reported that files in Dublin are carefully vetted by senior and retired officials before release, and can be withheld if deemed to be against the public interest.<\/p>\n

However, there has been no explanation as yet about why the file with the references to Mr Kelly has been withdrawn.<\/p>\n

It contained a letter, written by assistant garda commissioner Noel Conroy, which identified Mr Kelly as \u201cthe most dominant figure\u201d within the Provos in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

The North Belfast MLA has taken a number of libel actions over reports about IRA activities.<\/p>\n

He previously rubbished a classified British document<\/a>, which formed part of the UK\u2019s State Papers, which claimed he had been put in charge of the IRA reorganisation to ensure centralised control for the peace process. Mr Kelly said the allegation was \u201cnot true\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mr Kelly had served a prison sentence for the 1973 Old Bailey bombing before escaping from prison. He became a Sinn Fein politician and played a central role in the peace process and 1998 Good Friday Agreement.<\/p>\n

Mr Kelly is one of two MLAs – the DUP\u2019s Edwin Poots is the other – to still be a member of the Assembly.<\/p>\n

Mr Conroy, who would go on to become garda commissioner in 2003, wrote the briefing note to the Irish Department of Justice on May 21, 1996.<\/p>\n

The letter was addressed to the department\u2019s secretary general Tim Dalton and formed a two-page security analysis of the leadership of the IRA.<\/p>\n

It said: \u201cThe current PIRA [Provisional Irish Republican Army] strategy continues to be dominated and controlled by the leadership of Gerry Kelly, Belfast; Brian Keenan, Belfast; Martin McGuinness, Derry; Pat Doherty, Donegal; and Thomas \u2018Slab\u2019 Murphy, Louth. Gerry Kelly is emerging as the most dominant figure within this group.<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin Ferris is also emerging as highly influential in formulating strategy and is consulted and advised by the northern leadership on all major issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1996 Mr Conroy was serving as the head of the garda\u2019s critical Crime and Security branch.<\/p>\n

The letter notes that there was \u201cgrowing dissatisfaction amongst many\u201d members of Sinn Fein and the IRA about \u201cthe non-consultative attitude of the current leadership of both organisations\u201d.<\/p>\n

There is a growing feeling at grassroots level that the leadership is out of touch<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is particularly evident in the Cork\/Kerry, Limerick and Dublin regions. The constitutionality of the decision within Sinn Fein on the Mitchell Principles is being questioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, the Adams leadership has the approval of the Ard Comhairle of [Sinn Fein]. There is a growing feeling at grassroots level that the leadership is out of touch.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed, there are cynical comments about their \u2018infallibility\u2019 being expressed. This feeling is more marked in the south with Northern Units being more supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was among documents recently declassified in Dublin under the 20 and 30-year rules. However, the file has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":238038,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[120767,12108,61,4819,60,12109,43,3415],"class_list":["post-238037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-gerry-kelly","tag-good-friday-agreement","tag-ie","tag-ira","tag-ireland","tag-martin-mcguinness","tag-news","tag-sinn-fein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238037"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238037\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238038"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}