By Sammie Jones-
A convicted IRA bomber has named four men he claims were responsible for the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings.The explosions occurred at the Mulberry Bush in the city’s iconic Rotunda and the basement Tavern in the Town, killing 21 people and injured 220 more.
The inquest heard yesterday that Irish men were heard talking about bangs moments before the bomb blew up.
Today, the man known as Witness O, named the men during the inquests into the deaths of the 21 victims. The revelation comes after over four decades of agony by the families of the bereaved over the atrocious killings that shocked Britain at the time and caused national outrage.
The man, who cannot be named, said he had been given permission to do so by the current head of the IRA in Dublin. He was in prison at the time of the bombings. Speaking via video link, he accepted that the bombings were an “atrocity”.
The witness named the officer commanding the Birmingham IRA at the time as Seamus McLoughlan, and said he was the person responsible for selecting the targets.
He added that Mick Murray was “one of the bombers” and claimed he recalled how Murray told him there would be “no harm” if similar bombings had been repeated, because of the “chaos” . He also said Michael Hayes and James Gavin were also part of the team.
The revelation comes after Kieran Conway yesterday told the inquest into the deaths over a video link from a secure location that the attacks were “not sanctioned” by the IRA, and that public outrage following the blasts “nearly destroyed” the group.
The explosions at the Mulberry Bush in the city’s iconic Rotunda and the basement Tavern in the Town in nearby New Street killed 21 people and injured 220 more.
Families of the victims have waited 44 years for fresh inquests, which are now in their fourth week.