IN his new podcast series, journalist Mario Ledwith uncovers troubling findings about the aftermath of the 1987 Enniskillen bombing.
One of the key revelations concerns the destruction of crucial police documents which may have contained vital information about the attack.
The files were reportedly lost during a ‘clean-up operation’ after asbestos was discovered at an RUC station.
Mario said he reviewed a report stating that ten arrests were made by the RUC in the immediate aftermath of the bombing.
However, a statement issued by police to a local newspaper in 2016 claimed the number was actually 13 – a discrepancy he describes as deeply concerning.
With the original documents now destroyed, verifying details about those detained has become increasingly difficult.
Throughout the podcast, Mario questions whether enough was done to prevent the attack and examines evidence suggesting failures in the police investigation.
The series also traces the bomb’s journey to Enniskillen.
According to findings, the 40lb device was transported across the border on the Friday before Remembrance Sunday, placed inside a sports bag, and left in the Reading Rooms on Saturday, before detonating during the remembrance service the following morning.
The podcast also claims that the IRA abandoned a plan to bomb Enniskillen’s war memorial
years before their deadly 1987 attack due to likely loss of civilian life.
Another revelation comes from accounts that a senior Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) figure travelled to Fermanagh in the days following the bombing.
“He offered to set up a local unit to strike back against the IRA,” Mario said. “The proposal was turned down – thankfully, Enniskillen didn’t descend into sectarian violence.”