Londonderry Sentinel
A Londonderry man has been taken into protective custody by police in the Republic, amidst speculation that he could hold vital information about the murder of former Sinn Féin apparatchik and spy Denis Donaldson, it has been claimed.
According to reports in a number of media outlets the man is a former dissident republican - turned police informant - who was subject to a number of attempts on his life at his St Johnston home last year. It has now been claimed that the man has led detectives to a sledgehammer used to break down the door of the remote Glenties cottage in which Mr Donaldson, aged 56, was shot dead in April 2006.
A garda spokesperson said that "for operational reasons" gardai were not in a position to comment on or discuss the latest revelations.
In September last year the Real IRA were blamed for an attack near the man's home at Transallagh, St Johnston, during which he received gunshot wounds. Months later a pipe bomb device attached to the oil tank of the man's house partially exploded. It has been reported that the man - an alleged former member of the Real IRA - moved from St Johnston after the attack. At a 32 County Sovereignty Movement Easter Rising commemoration in Londonderry on Monday, the Real IRA claimed it had carried out the murder of Denis Donaldson.
[ARTICLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY EDITED AND REFERENCES TO ST JOHNSTON REMOVED]
Text of article currently online at Londonderry Sentinel website:
Londonderry Sentinel
Published on 17/04/2009 13:25
A LONDONDERRY man has been taken into protective custody by police in the Republic, amidst speculation that he could hold vital information about the murder of former Sinn Féin apparatchik and spy Denis Donaldson, it has been claimed. According to reports in a number of media outlets the man is a former dissident republican - turned police informant.
It has now been claimed that the man has led detectives to a sledgehammer used to break down the door of the remote Glenties cottage in which Mr Donaldson, aged 56, was shot dead in April 2006. A garda spokesperson said that "for operational reasons" gardai were not in a position to comment on or discuss the latest claims.
In September last year the Real IRA were blamed for an attack near the man's home in the Republic. At a 32 County Sovereignty Movement Easter Rising commemoration in Londonderry on Monday, the Real IRA claimed it had carried out the murder of Denis Donaldson.
NOTE:
The details described in the original article above referred to the Sept & Oct 2008 attacks on Declan Gallagher in St. Johnston, Donegal. Like other articles published in April 2009, it states that Gallagher led detectives to the sledgehammer used to break down the cottage door in the Donaldson murder and that he was in protective custody.
See also:
http://winnowinghistory.blogspot.com/2009/04/ex-rira-man-gives-donaldson-evidence.html
Gallagher: "...The former dissident is understood to have been taken into protective custody after leading detectives to the spot where the sledgehammer was hidden by Mr Donaldson's killers in Donegal. Gardai are understood to be hopeful of recovering forensic evidence from the sledgehammer, which is said to have been well preserved when recovered."
http://winnowinghistory.blogspot.com/2009/04/dissident-denies-key-witness-rira-link.html
Gallagher: "...survived a Real IRA murder attempt last September led gardai to a sledgehammer believed to have been used in the attack on Mr Donaldson..."
http://winnowinghistory.blogspot.com/2009/04/donaldson-informant-kept-hidden.html
Gallagher: "...is now under protective garda custody after leading investigators to the hiding place of the sledgehammer used by the killers to break down Donaldson’s cottage door. Gardai may now be able to recover forensic evidence from the sledgehammer but it could take some time and may involve experts from Britain..."
http://winnowinghistory.blogspot.com/2009/04/dissidents-reject-protective-custody.html
"...republican sources linked to the Real IRA in Derry insist the man in question has no connection with the organisation. “He was never part of the republican movement”, the source said. The source said the claims were being used to discredit the Real IRA. “This is being put about by enemies of the republican movement and there is absolutely no truth in it.”..."
Two months later, an entirely different individual (Liam McGinley) was said to have identified Donaldson's killers, passed on information leading to the recovery of the sledgehammer used to break down the cottage door in the Donaldson murder and that he was in protective custody.
See also:
http://winnowinghistory.blogspot.com/2009/06/rira-victim-reveals-who-murdered-spy.html
McGinley: "...wasn't present when Donaldson was murdered but has identified the killers and disclosed certain information on what happened to the weapon used in the killing,"...
http://winnowinghistory.blogspot.com/2009/06/letterkenny-man-reveals-donaldson.html
McGinley: "...is under garda protection. McGinley has revealed the identity of Real IRA figure in the northwest including the identities of the gunmen who murdered former leading Sinn Féin official and self-confessed British Spy Denis Donaldson..."
http://winnowinghistory.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-delay-to-spys-inquest-expected.html
McGinley: "...is understood to have identified the killers to detectives. He is also understood to have passed on information which led to the recovery of a sledgehammer which the killers had used to break down the door of the cottage during the attack..."
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