Northern Ireland legacy: Woman whose brother was murdered in Kingsmills Massacre dismisses nine-year legacy inquest as 'basically protecting the guilty'

Preliminary hearings of the inquest began in 2014 and all hearings except one have so far taken place in Belfast.

However, sole survivor Alan Black and Karen Armstrong, whose brother, John McConville was killed, are angered that the final hearing before findings are given will take place in Dungannon tomorrow on Friday 29 March at 9:30am.

"I live in Larne so I have had to book into a hotel in Dungannon to be there on time - it is just so stressful," Karen said.

She concurred with concerns expressed by Mr Black yesterday that an attempt is being made to "hide away" the final hearing from the Belfast media.

"We have had to live with this since the preliminary hearings began in 2014," Karen said of the stress. "I have to say that we have never had much support from politicians. We've just been left to get on with it and to push for the small amount of truth that we've been given."

One key issue to be discussed is the "secret" court hearing in Dublin last year where Garda gave evidence on the atrocity behind closed doors - after some eight years of requests.

However she and Mr Black are angered that although they have been given reports about what was said they are legally forbidden from publishing details.

The other is the Coroner's response to the judicial review by Mr Black, in which he attempted to force the naming of a key deceased suspect, who is linked to 33 IRA murders.

The coroner has so far refused to name him in case it would put the lives of those close to him at risk. However Karen believes the lives of the ten murdered men must be at least as important.

"For an inquest to run since 2014 - you just think - in the name of goodness. They have put so much effort into these hearings which are basically protecting the guilty," she added.

"I can understand that many other families walked away but I certainly won't.

"I am still here for my brother and for Alan. But to be quite honest, the inquest has just blown up even more suspicions."

Karen said that five PII certificates were issued which prevent disclosure of certain information in the public interest, and some suspects had On The Run letters.

"We have basically got nothing. People are being shielded."

And she said of the legacy process in Northern Ireland: "It is political. One side is elevated above the other."

Karen noted that the IRA never engaged with the inquest, despite repeated requests by the coroner for information. And she notes that the IRA has still to claim the atrocity, despite around a dozen weapons used at Kingsmills all having extensive proven IRA histories.

"They have no souls," she said of the killers.

Newry & Armagh DUP MLA William Irwin said: "The final hearing of the inquest should have marked a significant chapter, particularly for the one survivor of that terrible attack. It is deeply disappointing that not only he, but many in the wider public may view this as not bringing forward the full truth about what happened.”

Newry UUP councillor David Taylor and former Newry and Armagh UUP MLA Danny Kennedy said: "We will continue to support Alan Black and the Kingsmills families in their efforts to obtain maximum truth and justice. We share the concerns expressed by Alan in relation to the timing and location of the final hearing. It is essential that the full truth of Kingsmills is laid bare for all to see.”

A Coroner's spokeswoman said the inquest had sat previously in Dungannon once before, in September 2021. "The hearing in Dungannon on Friday 31 March 2023 is taking place in open court and can be attended either in person or remotely" she added.

Sinn Fein was invited to comment.

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Sole survivor of Kingsmills Massacre by IRA is concerned at inquest being taken out of Belfast for final hearings.

Dublin law forbids sole survivor of Kingsmills Massacre from disclosing secret Garda evidence on IRA atrocity