‘Vigilante Force’ for South – On This Day in 1974

Former taoiseach Liam Cosgrave

June 27 1974

The Taoiseach, Mr Liam Cosgrave, in the Dáil yesterday announced the setting up of a voluntary “vigilante force” to guard against bomb attacks and other forms of violence. He also reaffirmed the Irish government’s belief that agreed power-sharing is the only solution to the Northern Ireland crisis.

Mr Cosgrave stressed, however, that such a settlement should be reached largely without interference from either the Irish or British governments.

The Taoiseach, who was opening a special one-day debate on Northern Ireland, said: “Anything we can do to advance such a settlement we will do. However, we must recognise that our most helpful contribution may be to do nothing – by word or deed – that will prejudice the outcome of discussions between the various groups in Northern Ireland.

“It is up to the people there to reach an agreement among themselves which will allow them to live and work together in peace.”

Three SDLP Assemblymen – Mr John Hume, the party’s deputy leader, Mr Ivan Cooper and Mr Hugh Logue – were in the public gallery throughout the seven-hour debate.

The session did not attract large number of Deputies because of the time limit imposed on the debate and because the government was not expected to announce any new formula. Independent Fianna Fáil member Mr Neil Blaney criticised the decision to limit the debate to one day.

In his remarks leading up to the announcement of the new force, Mr Cosgrave said that the government must do everything in its power to stamp out violence.

It must ensure that the 26 counties was not used as a haven for bombers and murderers or as a source of arms and explosives, he said.

“If we propose to encourage the establishment of the necessary conditions for the securing of communal peace in Northern Ireland, we must, all of us, clearly demonstrate that there is no sympathy here for those who would contribute to the wrecking of those conditions.”

The Taoiseach said to that end the strength of both the Army and the Gardai had been substantially increased and a new recruiting drive for the Army was under way. The ordinary people were to be involved more closely in security matters.

As part of measures to increase security within the south, a month after the devastating Dublin and Monaghan bombings, Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave proposed the establishment of a voluntary “vigilante force”, a force that never came into existence.