Report: Gov’t, Catholic church covered up involvement of priest in 1972 NIreland bombing

Report: Gov’t cover-up in 1972 NIreland bombing

LONDON — A new report in Northern Ireland says the British government and the Roman Catholic church colluded to cover up the involvement of a priest in a 1972 bombing that killed nine people and injured 30.

The Northern Ireland police ombudsman’s report says that Father James Chesney was the prime suspect in the blast in the village of Claudy, just outside of Londonderry.

The explosion hit the village without the customary warnings that paramilitaries used to limit civilian casualties.

Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson said Tuesday that the government was “profoundly sorry.”