A woman whose father was murdered in Co Tyrone in 1977 has called for investigations by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland to be reinstated after they were halted by the British government’s Legacy Act.
Deirdre McHugh was 20 months old when her father Mick, from Ardarver near Castlederg, was killed by a loyalist group, the UDA-UFF.
As he left for his forestry job on January 21st, 1977, two gunmen were waiting for him and opened fire. He was dragged from his lorry and shot several times as he lay on the ground.
“He drove a yellow lorry and I remember until I was nearly six I used to search, looking out of the car window, looking for his yellow lorry because I just didn’t really believe he’d died,” she said. “I just kept looking for him, searching for his yellow lorry.”
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The Historical Enquiries Team identified “known incidents of collaboration” between loyalist paramilitaries and British security forces concerning Mr McHugh’s murder.
A former part-time RUC reserve constable was subsequently convicted over his killing and collusion has been identified in other linked murders.
The Legacy Act, which came into effect in May, ended the ombudsman’s remit to undertake historical investigations.
The McHugh’s case was one of 335 which will not now proceed. Families have instead been given the option of engaging with the new investigative body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
Sara Duddy from the Pat Finucane Centre, which supports the McHugh family, said some cases were from the Republic and there was “now no process in which these investigations can continue”.
“The truth about his murder was never told: the collusion,” says Ms McHugh, who now lives in Malahide, Co Dublin. “We’re just asking for the fundamental human right of truth and closure — a chance to heal wounds that have been open for far too long.”
Mick McHugh was a 34-year-old married father of two daughters; a third, Michaela, died aged four after she was knocked down.
Deirdre McHugh describes her father as “a real family man, very affectionate ... he had this boundless passion, energy and enthusiasm, was very hard-working, and just loved being with his family.”
Mick McHugh was a pioneer who loved singsongs, showbands, dancing and sport. He was a founder member of St Davog’s GAA Club in Aghyaran, played basketball with people from both communities and was “passionate” about civil rights.
“He stood up for people, but that cost him his life,” she said.
Ms McHugh said questions about her father when she was growing up affected her deeply.
“When you’re growing up, people ask you: ‘Who’s your father?’ And it just cut me to the bone every time I was asked it,” she said.
“You were the person with no father ... my fear was that people would judge both me and him. At school, I used to pretend I had a daddy and make a Father’s Day card because I wanted to be the same as everybody else.”
The Legacy Act, which was widely opposed and remains the subject of an interstate legal challenge by the Irish Government, replaced previous methods of investigating the past in the North with the ICRIR.
The UK Labour government fulfilled its promise to repeal it and reinstated investigative routes such as inquests — though not Police Ombudsman’s inquiries — but has also retained the ICRIR, saying it intends to win the support of families.
Ms McHugh’s concerns are over the body’s independence given the appointment of a former senior police officer as its lead investigator, as well as the lack of consultation with victims and survivors.
She wants the Police Ombudsman’s investigations reinstated and says the ICRIR “is a deeply flawed system”.
“We’re not even looking for accountability, it’s just truth at this stage but it has to be independent,” she said.
In a statement, the ICRIR said it “understands that building trust through our delivery will be critical to victims, survivors and families” and said it has carried out a wide range of engagements.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said it was “committed to addressing the legacy of the past in a way that complies with our human rights obligations and has the support of communities”.
The Court of Appeal had recognised the ICRIR’s independence and it was “capable of fulfilling ECHR [European Convention on Human Rights] obligations in cases previously under the remit of the police and the Police Ombudsman”, said the NIO.
“We are committed to exploring ways in which the ICRIR can be reformed, including to further strengthen its independence and powers,” said a spokesman. “We are consulting on the best approach.”
“We’re just asking for a basic human right,” said Ms McHugh. “Mummy is 80, she might never see the truth here, and my children and nephews are now asking, so there’s transgenerational trauma. Come clean and be open about exactly what happened ... let everybody move on with their lives.”
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