The Irish Kincora child abuse story might just be the thread that pulls the entire paedo-sadism control system story apart. Irish disenfranchised children must have seemed like a good source; neglected, somewhat hidden away from mainstream Britain.
But, bit by bit, the drip-feed of disclosures turned from a trickle to a torrent. One of the Kincora officials, McGrath, was a prominent Orangeman who had once boasted in the papers that he was learning Irish. But he was also believed to have been involved in a little-known paramilitary organisation called Tara, made up of fanatical Protestant extremists.
McGrath was also linked to a number of mainstream loyalists and it was rumoured there were influential political figures who were among the low-lifes involved in the child sex ring associated with Kincora.
It was alleged that McGrath was an MI5 agent, whose sexual assaults were covered up. (My emphasis).
Senior military figures claimed that the RUC knew about the abuse at Kincora for years.
But it was only after Belfast journalist Peter McKenna exposed the ‘Sex Racket At Children’s Home‘ in the Irish Independent in January 1980 that any official action was taken.
The cover-up was said to have gone right to the top. Sir Maurice Oldfield, a former head of MI6, was reportedly seen by his Special Branch protection officers associating with boys from Kincora.
Another name mentioned in relation to Kincora was that of Red Hand Commando leader John McKeague, who was shot dead by the INLA in Belfast in January 1982 shortly after reports that he had been interviewed by police about the sex abuse at the boys’ home.
A unionist councillor, Joss Cardwell, took his own life in 1983 after he was questioned by police. He was chairman of a council welfare committee and said he had statutory visiting responsibilities in relation to care homes. The Rev Ian Paisley was accused of failing to report McGrath’s abuse to police.
It seems that, despite the establishment’s best efforts, the Kincora cat will just not go back into the bag.
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