The Cooper Confession
“Victims? Don’t be melodramatic.”
“Tell me. Would you really feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever? If I offered you twenty thousand pounds for every dot that stopped, would you really, Old Man, tell me to keep my money, or would you calculate how many dots you could afford to spare? Free of income tax, Old Man. Free of income tax – the only way you can save money nowadays.”
Harry Lime, The Third Man
My first recollection of the Claudy Bombings was as a young boy looking at hunting scenes in a book. Black and white photographs of a village decimated by bombs. It was one of those times in life when you know something has changed you but you are not quite sure what. I never knew that I would write about or meet some of those whose lives were as decimated as Claudy by the bombs that day. It has been a life changing experience for me.
I have heard of grief and suffering that cannot be put into words, yet somehow the story has to be told. It is not a story with any redeeming factors, there are no heroes that come to the rescue, there is no silver lining to Claudy’s cloud , there is no happy ever after, there is no waking form the nightmare of the Claudy story. In fact, the more you dig, the more corruption and hatred spills out before you. The story of Claudy is not a simple one, it is and intricate web that leads to the highest political offices in Stormont and Westminster. It is one that shows that the police were willing to allow the bombers to go free for their own ends and that politicians and church leaders were willing to cover up the murder of children. The most disturbing thing is that those behind Claudy were free to kill again and again.
The story of Claudy does not begin there and it does not end there. It does not involve just one priest; it does not involve one village; it involves the systematic cover-up of a large number of murders which could have been prevented. There have now been at least four investigations into Claudy, not one of them yielding any truth on the matter, yet every detail of what happened that day is known.
For just four months, Ulster News has been investigating the truth behind what happened on the 31st July 1972, we have meet with relatives, locals, former security force members, ex republicans and investigators. What has been uncovered is earth shattering and exposes the cover-up and collusion on a vast scale.
During one of our meeting with former Claudy residents Ulster News brought a dossier on the facts about the bombing and those involved. The document lists the involvement of around fifteen people: the drivers, the bomb makers and those who offered logistical support. These include both men and women. It is interesting reading. With the dossier and the knowledge of the locals, as well as the relatives, a detailed picture of all that took place is being constructed for the first time. Five or six of the number have stood in elections for Sinn Fein and at least five have served life sentences for other murders, one nicknamed “nail bomb” has become one of the wealthiest men in Ireland – every detail of those responsible is known, yet no convictions. It is also known that one of the drivers started to work for RUC Special Branch just after Claudy and would one day lead the PIRA in South Derry.
The most perturbing aspect of the investigation was uncovering that the Chesney gang was under constant security force surveillance for at least a seven month period prior to the attacks. In December 1971, Chesney had ordered a bombing in Magherafelt, three young men would die as they tried to deliver the bomb. The priest and his parochial house were put under watch. Despite that, he and his murderous missions continued. The house had become an arms dump, come headquarters but no action was forthcoming. On five occasions, permission was sought to raid the house and arrest the occupants, each time this was refused. This has led to speculation that the priest was working for some intelligence agency. Ulster News has not come across any evidence of this. But the uses of an SB block on the house suggests that something was going on that warranted their protection.
The area from where the three young men who died in the 1971 blast came from is important, the cars used to bomb Claudy were taken there. More importantly, the cars used in the priest’s response to his move over the border, the copycat of Claudy, one year later, Coleraine, were taken in the area too. Coleraine was chosen because there were those there who did not want Claudy to die. This was the priest’s warning. Chesney despite his move continued to have an active role in murder as did the other Claudy killers, some helping to form the INLA.
During one discussion about the disappearance of the files into Claudy, one individual with an insight to such matters, who was not at the meeting and was, speaking off the record, said:
“the original file is well gone, a digitised copy will exist somewhere safe in North Down, but no one will ever see it.”
These were the issues that were discussed in the presents of a community worker and a unionist politician. Coming to the close of the meeting I asked had they ever contacted Ivan Cooper. What was said was not complimentary. Those present told us that Cooper knew exactly who was involved in the bombing and every detail of what they had did, they went on to say that Cooper had evidence that could convicted those guilty of mass murder. I left perplex, if that was the case, why had he not made a public statement or personally went to the police ombudsman?
I have learned never to assume anything in the search for the truth. I have also learnt that for some reason Claudy frightens people, they don’t want to talk about the events of that Monday morning forty one years ago. Most have the opinion that sleeping dogs should be left to their slumber but for some of those who have suffered because of it, this simply is not an option. Two weeks ago the former PIRA publicity spokesman confirmed that they carried out the attack. On Sunday Ivan Cooper, after forty years of silence, admitted one of the bombers, a former school teacher, confessed to him and that he took him to meet a senior RUC officer. In the coming weeks we will continue to look at those who had license to kill in Claudy. Grouse beating season has begun.
ULSTER NEWS 