The Government has removed a key file from the National Archives, including a letter from a future Garda commissioner alleging that Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly was “the most dominant figure” within the IRA leadership in 1996. Kelly is an MLA for North Belfast.
The recall of the file, following last year’s release of State files to the National Archives under the 20 and 30-year rules was, ordered on Wednesday by the Department of Foreign Affairs, The Irish Times understands.
The letter was written in May, 1996, by Noel Conroy, who then served as a Garda assistant commissioner in charge of its crime and security division, before serving as commissioner between 2003 and 2007.
“The current PIRA (Provisional Irish Republican Army) strategy continues to be dominated and controlled by the leadership of Gerry Kelly, Belfast; Brian Keenan, Belfast, Martin McGuinness, Derry; Pat Doherty, Donegal and Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy, Louth,” wrote Conroy in a two-page letter on the IRA’s activities to the secretary general of the Department of Justice, Tim Dalton.
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“Gerry Kelly is emerging as the most dominant figure within this group.”
Kelly was jailed for the 1973 Old Bailey car bombing in London, but he has repeatedly denied being a member of the IRA after he was jailed. He was part of the Maze Prison escape in 1983.
The decision to pull the file back followed urgent consultations between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice, with initial doubts about which department had released the letter.
Questions have been submitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs about why the file has been withdrawn, but, so far, The Irish Times has not received a reply.
The files, which are released annually, are carefully vetted by serving and retired officials before they are sent to the National Archives. Documents can be withheld on a number of grounds, including if publication is deemed to be against the public interest.
The letter was published by The Irish Times on December 27th, 2025, as part of the first of several days of coverage of State papers from the National Archives in Dublin, its UK counterpart in London and the Public Records Office in Northern Ireland.
In the 1996 letter, Conroy went on: “Martin Ferris is also emerging as highly influential in formulating strategy and is consulted and advised by the northern leadership on all major issues.”
Conroy wrote that the leadership of the IRA wanted to be admitted to the talks with Northern Irish leadership: “Intelligence indicates that their military strategists have discussed methods which would allow them to be admitted.
“There is good intelligence to indicate that while there is some disagreement at Army Council level, a strategy is being developed that they calculate would allow for them being admitted.”
The head of the crime and security division of the Garda said the prospects for a second IRA ceasefire – which came in July, 1997 – were “considered to be good, provided that the decommissioning of arms is addressed to the satisfaction of PIRA/SF”.
