Reader responds to coverage of Peter Pringle case

Loughglynn, Co Roscommon

Dear Editor,

I refer to your piece last week regarding the late Peter Pringle where you claim he was cleared of any wrongdoing and that he was wrongly convicted of the capital murder of two Gardaí at Shannon’s Cross, Loughglynn.

I beg to differ and highlight that at no time was Pringle deemed to have been wrongly convicted nor was he cleared of wrongdoing.

My memory of those events including his appeal in 1995 is that the appeal hearing set aside the conviction over a dispute that blood from a nose bleed by Pringle was procured and included in evidence improperly and even though it wasn’t used in the trial, it was deemed inadmissible by the Court of Appeal. His release was on a technicality and the finding of guilt was not overturned. At no time did the courts say “you are an innocent man” – instead it said the conviction was unsafe.

This decision by the court left the Director of Public Prosecution free to proceed to a new trial. The issue preventing the new trial was that 15 years after the murder in Loughglynn many witnesses were dead, most crucially the Chief Superintendent who had signed the detention order for Pringle in 1980, meaning that the evidence gathered during this detention could not be used in court.

I was only a child when John Morley and Henry Byrne were shot in Loughglynn. My father was the Garda Sergeant in Loughglynn at the time. I obviously remember the day and all that happened afterwards.

I would like to remind you and all your readers that at no time did Pringle ever get a penny from the State in compensation, nor did he seek nor receive a pardon. Those facts speak for themselves.

Yours sincerely, Hugh Lynn

Paul Healy replies: The issue of what words to use in instances such as this can be challenging, not least for the media.

Pringle was convicted of the murders, but subsequently the Court of Criminal Appeal deemed his conviction to be unsafe and unsatisfactory. To that extent, the original conviction no longer stood. It was set aside; Pringle was freed.

In my article last week, I endeavoured to accurately report on Pringle’s status. I feel I got that right, but I fully accept the nuances at play. I did not suggest that the courts told Pringle he was “an innocent man”.

‘Wrongly convicted’ are the words most commonly used by most media entities when referencing Peter Pringle in the context of the events in West Roscommon in July 1980.

Journalist Mick Clifford, who recently wrote an in-depth feature on Pringle in the Irish Examiner, questioned the ‘wrongly convicted’ phrase, but seemed sympathetic to those using it. He wrote: “That (‘wrongly convicted’) is debateable and weighed with nuance… whether or not he (Pringle) was wrongly convicted, he was certainly blessed with luck’. I welcome Hugh’s various informed points and absolutely recognise and accept the logic of his summary.

‘Three out of ten’

Roscommon

Dear Editor, I would appeal to the people in charge of the Centre Point Retail Park in Roscommon to please do the necessary works to repair the road at the exit/entrance.

A bit like one of my school reports, I’d be giving them three out of ten at the moment – and adding “could do better”.

Yours sincerely,

Joseph Murray

“Agroforestry can build resilient and sustainable food production systems and increase productivity as trees give cover and protection to crops and animals in extremes of weather. It can also prevent soil erosion and water pollution and generate space for nature”.

Tyrone supporter thanks Roscommon people for coming to aid of mother

< DAN DOONER

A Tyrone GAA supporter has publicly thanked the people of Roscommon and fellow match-goers who came to his mother’s aid after she suffered a fall at last Sunday’s National Football League match at Dr Hyde Park.

The man got in touch with Roscommon GAA to express his gratitude to those who helped his injured mother following the incident at full-time.

The following letter was posted on the Roscommon GAA social media channels earlier this week.

“I was at the game on Sunday which I thoroughly enjoyed despite the result. I was with my son, mother and father.

“After exiting the ground and walking back to our car my mother took a fall and hit her forehead/eye on the ground.

“I would like to express my thanks to all those who helped while she was still on the ground. The family who stopped and gave us wipes to help stop bleeding, those who got us water, those who helped keep me calm and helped look after my mum’s injury, to the Garda who got a Garda car to take her to the nearby hospital Urgent Care unit.

“Thanks to the staff at the Urgent Care unit who were very thorough and looked after my mum in every way possible. Mum was discharged and is home recuperating and doing well.

“To my friends who looked after my son and went and got my car, thank you.

“The people of Roscommon…you couldn’t have done any more.

“The goodwill shown to us by everyone who passed was amazing”.