I N D E X Witness Page No. Line No. OWEN CORRIGAN CROSS-EXAMINED BY MR. DURACK 2 1 RE-EXAMINED BY MR. DILLON 13 17 STATEMENTS READ INTO THE RECORD 66 25 Smithwick Tribunal - 30th May 2013 - Day 131 1 1 THE TRIBUNAL RESUMED ON THE 30TH OF MAY, 2012, AT 11 A.M. 2 AS FOLLOWS: 3 4 CHAIRMAN: Mr. Durack, are you ready to begin? 5 6 MR. DURACK: I am sorry about my late arrival. I hadn't 7 anticipated the amount of people arriving for the Phoenix 8 Park Garden Show. 9 10 CHAIRMAN: I am sorry to deprive you. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Doyle Court Reporters Ltd. Smithwick Tribunal - 30th May 2013 - Day 131 2 1 OWEN CORRIGAN WAS CROSS-EXAMINED BY MR. DURACK AS FOLLOWS: 2 3 1 Q. MR. DURACK: Now, Mr. Corrigan, I have just a few questions 4 for you; I just wanted to clarify a few things. I think 5 you said that the, in the course of your evidence, that you 6 were aware sometime after the Killeen bomb where the RUC 7 men were killed, that there was, that the -- sorry, the 8 plainclothes RUC men going South were under threat and 9 under observation by the IRA? Did I understand you to say 10 that at some stage and that you were concerned that they 11 were being watched? 12 A. Yes, I was -- it was -- follows under the general thinking 13 that I had at the time that there was a heightened worry on 14 my part in view of what I had learned, that they were 15 scrutinised, their movements, and there was an emphasis on 16 their coming South. 17 2 Q. Because the Tribunal has heard, and will be aware, that 18 there was, in the RUC intelligence of July 1988, that that 19 is recorded, that there was an increased level of threat 20 against the plainclothes men going South? 21 A. Yes, I wasn't -- I can't recall that. I am not saying it 22 wasn't there. 23 3 Q. You may not be aware of it, but it appears from the 24 Statement of Evidence provided to the Tribunal on behalf of 25 the Provisional IRA that they suggested that they, in fact, 26 had been surveilling both Dundalk Garda Station and the RUC 27 car, Mr. Buchanan's car, from prior to Christmas of 1988? 28 A. Well, I have already given that in my earlier days here, 29 that once I have outlined in full how they commenced in 30 December '88, and their first indication was when Constable Doyle Court Reporters Ltd. Smithwick Tribunal - 30th May 2013 - Day 131 3 1 Day appeared at the station. 2 4 Q. That's right. I just wanted to draw your attention to the 3 fact that the RUC intelligence supports that and your view. 4 A. Yes. 5 5 Q. There are a couple of things I just wanted to deal with in 6 relation to your dealings with your authorities. I think 7 you have from time to time expressed unhappiness with the 8 manner of those dealings or how you were dealt with, and if 9 I may deal first with the disciplinary inquiry which took 10 place. I think it related, that the actual Inquiry took 11 place on the 21st of November of 1989, and I think it 12 related to a number of complaints that were made against 13 you in relation to the use of motor vehicles and 14 maintaining logs in relation to those, isn't that right? 15 A. Yeah. 16 6 Q. And I think you have told us, and it doesn't appear to be 17 in controversy, that you weren't really getting on with a 18 Mr. Connolly or Mr. Nolan, at least, at this stage, and 19 that they were in fact your superior officers at the time? 20 A. Absolutely, yes. 21 7 Q. And I think that you were in fact, in relation to those 22 counts, that there were in fact nine counts in all against 23 you, brought against you, relating to the use of official 24 motor cars, maintaining radio contact and making reports in 25 relation to an accident or, should I say, some damage to 26 one of the vehicles, one of the vehicles. Now -- 27 A. I don't accept those allegations. 28 8 Q. Oh, sorry, I accept that you don't. 29 A. No. 30 9 Q. They were the allegations that were made. Doyle Court Reporters Ltd. Smithwick Tribunal - 30th May 2013 - Day 131 4 1 A. They were totally concocted for to serve a purpose. 2 3 CHAIRMAN: Totally concocted? 4 A. Oh, yes, yeah, the man -- he came in one day and asked me 5 to sign a book for -- the page for the use of the car, 6 which was a regular thing, and he said, "I'm going to" -- 7 the Superintendent never came in before. I had served with 8 13, 13 of them, and they all had came in and congratulated 9 me on the work I had done. They came up here; 10 Mr. Courtney, the Head of the Murder Squad, whom I worked 11 with for 12 years, was one of them. No man ever came in 12 and checked the logbook, because we used to leave the 13 logbook for maybe a week at a time and to bring up the 14 mileage. He said he would sign it, and I signed it. And I 15 didn't put the make of the car, I have already stated this 16 in evidence, I don't want to take up the time of the 17 Tribunal. 18 10 Q. I don't want to either. 19 A. But Mr. Connolly came back and inserted -- falsified the 20 make and colour and date and registration of the car. 21 11 Q. Sorry, we needn't actually, if you don't mind, we won't go 22 into the detail. I accept -- 23 A. I don't accept it either. 24 12 Q. I accept that you, in fact, are at odds with the counts 25 that were laid against you? 26 A. Yes, absolutely. 27 13 Q. But in any case, all of the nine counts appear to relate to 28 the use of the motor car? 29 A. Yes, alleged. 30 14 Q. And relate to being available on the end of the phone, or Doyle Court Reporters Ltd. Smithwick Tribunal - 30th May 2013 - Day 131 5 1 at least on the end of the radio, isn't that right? 2 A. Yes. 3 15 Q. What was the radio situation like around Dundalk at that 4 stage in terms of contactability? 5 A. Well, I wasn't contactable because I was engaged in very, 6 very dangerous work, and I was accused one time of not 7 being available to go to a fire. I was a detective in 8 charge of all security matters; I wasn't a fireman. 9 10 CHAIRMAN: Was this the time that somebody's house was 11 petrol bombed? 12 A. Yes, and there were three patrol cars at it. Like, I 13 couldn't go to fires, I was out the same night on very 14 risky business, I might add. 15 16 CHAIRMAN: What risky business was that? 17 A. In relation to intelligence, I had to meet people at 18 various locations and times of the day and night, gathering 19 intelligence, and my record of intelligence is there for 20 anyone to see it; it's already submitted. To be accused of 21 not attending a fire... 22 23 CHAIRMAN: Well, it was more than a fire, it was a 24 firebomb. 25 A. Well, I don't know, there was -- the fire brigade was at it 26 anyway, and three patrol cars from Dundalk, so I don't know 27 what difference I would have made. It was part of the 28 general attitude towards my activities at the time, so it 29 was thrown into the mix as a further ingredient. 30 16 Q. MR. DURACK: Now, I think there is also -- there were Doyle Court Reporters Ltd. Smithwick Tribunal - 30th May 2013 - Day 131 6 1 matters in relation to a road traffic accident that 2 occurred on the 5th of December, isn't that right? And I 3 think that was when the, I think your patrol car was 4 damaged from the rear, I think, and there was some small 5 damage to it? 6 A. I can't recall that now. 7 17 Q. I see. But maybe, perhaps, I just might make it clear. 8 The number 7, Count No. 7 was on the 5th of December you 9 didn't do a sketch where a road accident had occurred? 10 A. And what has this got to do with the Tribunal? 11 18 Q. Sorry, I just want to clarify what in fact the Inquiry was 12 about? 13 A. Like, I am here 18 days in poor health and this is the 14 nonsense that I am listening to. 15 19 Q. No, no, just bear with me, I am not in fact trying to 16 attack you in any way, I just want to be clear. 17 A.