Physical Copy Information
PAB/DGMcN/RG
FROM: D G McNEILL, PAB
DATE: 28 DECEMBER 1990
Copy No [ ] of [12]
cc PS/Secretary of State (B&L) [3&4]
Mr Pilling [5]
Mr Ledlie [6]
Mr Alston [7]
Mr Deverell [8]
Mr Thomas [9]
Mr Petch [10]
Mr Marsh [11]
File [12]
POLITICAL MOVEMENT AND THE PROVISIONALS : MAZE CHAPLAINS
1. I met the two Reverends Murphy on 27/12/90 to discuss the Provisionals Christmas ceasefire.
2. They told me that they had met two PIRA/SF men on Christmas Eve. These were [_not_] the two PAC men with whom they have been having a continuing dialogue. The two men they met on Christmas Eve are men who have ben used in the past as messengers when the PAC men are not available (as was the case on Christmas Eve when the meeting was arranged urgently).
3. The meeting was arranged [_at the request of the Chaplains_] who passed on the information that Government was taking the Christmas ceasefire seriously and that the Fermanagh PVCPs were to be opened not publicly linked to the ceasefire but in fact so linked.
4. The two messengers said that this would be passed on to the PAC contacts on Christmas Day and the messengers told the priests that the ceasefire was called partly to show Government that if a cessation of violence were called for by the PAC it would hold and partly as an exercise to reassure [_the PAC_] that the PIRA organisational machinery was able to deliver a ceasefire.
5. I did learn from the priests that following a meeting with me a few weeks ago in which I had raised the possibility of a Christmas ceasefire on a personal query basis they had mentioned this possibility to their PAC contacts when they met them shortly after saying that it would be a useful signal to Government. The PAC contacts had not responded to that suggestion and may have been intending calling a ceasefire in any event. However it is possible that their ceasefire was linked to this suggestion.
6. We agreed to keep in touch. No further meetings between the priests and their PAC contacts are in the immediate pipeline.
(SIGNED)
D G McNEILL
Political Affairs Division
SH Ext 2238
