Boston College

Following yesterday’s statement by Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre regarding the Boston Tapes and the Historical Enquiries Team, there has now been another twist in the story. Reports on both BBC (NI) and RTÉ News say that transcripts of interviews with the late Dolours Price, carried out as part of the Boston College project, have been handed over to the PSNI. The former IRA member who died in January was one of several ex- paramilitaries, interviewed by Moloney and McIntyre as part of a Boston College project to create an Oral History of the “troubles”. The recordings were started in 2001 and were made on the condition that confidentiality would be guaranteed until after the death of the republican and loyalist paramilitaries who took part.

The PSNI sought access to the transcripts as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Belfast mother-of-ten, Jean McConville, who was abducted and murdered by the IRA, then buried secretly. But the director of the Boston College Project, Ed Moloney and researcher Anthony McIntyre insisted Price did not make claims about the Disappeared in her interviews. They took a legal action to try to prevent the handing over of the interviews.

In a statement the PSNI said two detectives from the Serious Crime Branch had travelled to Boston to take possession of materials authorised by the United States appeal court as part of their investigation into the murder of Jean McConville.

Anthony McIntyre

Mr McIntyre said they were disappointed at the move. He said both he and Ed Moloney would fight to prevent any more transcripts being handed over to the PSNI.