Daughter of Denis Donaldson calls for public inquiry into his killing following Adams case

The Journal

30-05-2025

THE DAUGHTER OF Denis Donaldson, who was shot dead after being revealed to be an IRA informer, has called for an urgent public inquiry into the killing.
It comes after former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams's successful defamation action against the BBC.
Adams claimed a BBC Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson, which he denies any involvement in.
The jury today
found in his favour
and awarded him €100,000 in damages.
Donaldson was shot dead in Co Donegal in 2006, months after admitting his role as a police and MI5 agent over 20 years.
His daughter, Jane Donaldson, was prevented from giving evidence to the jury during the BBC's defence of the case.
Following the verdict, she said the case proves the need for an urgent public inquiry into the killing.
In a statement on behalf of the family, Jane Donaldson said: 'By reducing events which damaged our lives to a debate about damage to his reputation, the plaintiff has trivialised our family tragedy.
'Daddy's murder and surrounding circumstances devastated our family. The plaintiff prioritised his own financial and reputational interests over any regard for retraumatising my family.
We are still no closer to the truth. No one spoke for my family in court. We supported neither side in this case.
Speaking after today's verdict, Adams said: 'I'm very mindful of the Donaldson family in the course of this long trial, and indeed of the victims' families who have had to watch all of this.
'I want to say that the Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan should meet the family of Denis Donaldson as quickly as possible, and that there's an onus on both governments and everyone else, and I include myself in this, to try and deal with these legacy issues as best that we can.'
'Cross-border dimension'
However, Jane Donaldson criticised his legal team's approach to her evidence.
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'Although the plaintiff claimed sympathy for my family, his legal team objected to me giving evidence to challenge the account of his witnesses,' she said.
'The jury heard sensitive, privileged family information tossed around without our consent, but did not hear my testimony.
'Limitless legal resources and vast expense were invested in this case while there is supposedly a live Garda investigation into my daddy's murder.
'The public interest can only now be fully served by some form of public inquiry, with a cross-border dimension which is ECHR Article 2-compliant, empowered to investigate the whole truth about the conspiracy to expose and murder my daddy.'
Ciaran Shiels, a solicitor who represented the family in the past, was called as a witness in the case.
Shiels, a solicitor and partner at Madden and Finucane Solicitors, told the court the BBC was not only 'barking up the wrong tree' but was in the 'wrong orchard' over the claims against Adams.
Shiels said he represented Denis Donaldson and his family from a period before his death until a period after the broadcast.
He said he came to act as a spokesperson for the family after Donaldson's death but said he no longer does so.
Shiels told the court the family do not accept or believe in any way that Adams had anything to do with it.
However, Jane Donaldson issued a statement after his appearance in court to say the family had not been consulted about him giving evidence in the case.
She said she wanted to make clear Shiels no longer acts for the family.
In a voir dire hearing without the presence of the jury, Jane Donaldson said she had followed the case 'very closely and very painfully' over a number of weeks and felt compelled to contact the BBC because she felt there were inaccuracies presented as evidence in the case.
Father 'thrown to the wolves'
She said the family did not accept the claim of responsibility for the killing by the dissident republican group the Real IRA.
Jane Donaldson said her father had been 'thrown to the wolves' and there was a conspiracy to deliberately expose him as an agent.
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She said it was the family's position that it had an 'open mind' in relation to the murder and it was focused on 'pursuing the truth'.
Jane Donaldson also said she had no idea that Shiels was going to give evidence and she had not authorised it.
She said Madden and Finucane represented her family until February of this year but Shiels was never appointed as a family spokesman.
She said the family were not aware of the first meeting between Shiels and BBC Spotlight journalist Jennifer O'Leary about the programme, but were aware of subsequent meetings and other correspondence.
When questioned by Tom Hogan, SC, for Adams, she also acknowledged her husband, Ciaran Kearney, was later present at a meeting involving the BBC and Shiels at the firm's office.
She said she knew her husband was going to meet them and he told her about the meeting afterwards. However, she stressed the family were not aware of the first meeting between Shiels and O'Leary.
Paul Gallagher, SC, for the BBC, said it would be a 'fundamental unfairness' to not allow Jane Donaldson to comment on the evidence put forward by Shiels.
Judge Alex Owens told Jane Donaldson he appreciated all of her concerns and the points she made.
However, he said his concern was whether her evidence was relevant to the jury making decisions. He said he had listened to counsel and her statements very carefully.
Judge Owens said: 'While you do have all of these concerns, I don't think your evidence in relation to the matter is going to assist the jury in arriving at their decision.'
'In no circumstances am I going to permit you to give evidence to the jury,' he added.