23/04/2014 BBC Newsline

Good evening. A former IRA member has raised questions about Sinn Fein

president Gerry Adams' claim that he was never in the IRA. Peter Rogers,

who was jailed for the murder of a Garda officer in 1980, alleges Mr

Adams ordered him to transport explosives to Britain for a bombing

campaign that year. He also claims he received orders from Martin

McGuinness six years after he claimed to have left the IRA. Our

Dublin correspondent Shane Harrison reports.

For Peter Rogers it is a long way from the North Antrim coast to

Wexford in this far south and some of the key moments in his life. At

one time he was regarded as an IRA hero after he escaped from the

Maidstone prison ship in 1972. He continued his paramilitary

activities in the Republic. At the time of the first hunger strike he

was summoned to a meeting with superior officers in the grounds of

Trinity College Dublin because he claims he was reluctant to move

unstable explosives to Britain for a bombing campaign. I told Gerry that

they were explosives. Himself and Martin stood back out of earshot of

me and they had a talk and Jerry says, you cannot replace those

explosives, you have to go with what you have. Are you sure about that?

Gerry Adams said he was never in the IRA and Martin McGuinness said he

left the IRA in 1974 and he swore an oath to that effect. That maybe so,

but I that over the years there have been that many lies told and nobody

knew where they were at the time of the peace process. A short time

after the meeting back in Wexford his van with the explosives was

stopped by detectives and there was a gun battle and he murdered Garda

Seamus Wade. Another Garda was injured. Peter Rogers was initially

sentenced to death, but given a 40 year sentence for capital murder.

Nine years into his sentence he left the republican movement after

writing to the families apologising for what he had done. He was

released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. His apologies were

not accepted. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness declined to be

interviewed for this report, but Sinn Fein issued a statement saying

there is no truth in the allegations and Gerry Adams has already publicly

refuted them. The allegations made by Peter Rogers show, as if people

didn't know, that the past, disputed, murky and unclear, still

has a capacity to raise and comfortable issues.

Flybe is to resume flights from George Best Belfast City Airport to

London this October. It has signed a five-year deal with London City

Airport. Earlier this year the company ended its flights between

Belfast City and Gatwick. Our economics and business editor John

Campbell has more. Flybe has been an airline

experiencing turbulence in recent years. It has had to cut costs,

roots and jobs, including more than 50 in Belfast. Now it is attempting

to revive its fortunes, signing a five-year deal with London City

Airport. That will mean three flights a day. The airline boss says

it is part of a broader strategy. The big idea is boosting regional

collectivity, providing access to the capital for customers in

Edinburgh, Belfast, Inverness, Exeter and Dublin. But with lots of

competition how sustainable will it be? When we survey our customers it

is always in the top three destinations and I am convinced it

is going to be successful. Also if you want to travel into London it is

in close proximity to the centre of London. This route is likely to be

attractive to business customers. The airport is in London's financial

district and could mean less hassle than an increasingly crowded

Heathrow. Flybe is Belfast City's airport's biggest customer. But both

Belfast airports are facing intense competition from Dublin which is

adding new routes all the time. Fly B is also going to fly from Dublin

to London city. The police are appealing for

information about a race hate crime which happened in east Belfast

earlier this week. Two men and a woman were assaulted in the

Lawnmount Street area by a group of around 15 people, some of whom were

wielding golf clubs. All of those attacked suffered cuts and bruises

and one of the men lost two teeth. The incident occurred between nine

and half past nine on Monday evening.

Preparations began today for road closures for the Giro d'Italia cycle

race. Signs have started going up warning motorists of disruption

across more than 200 miles of roads. . As Mark Simpson reports, the

starting stages of this world renowned event next month promises

to be a challenge for the cyclists and motorists.

17 days to go and the first of 17 Hundred Rd signs go up. For the road

service it is not their usual colour, but then again it is not

every day that the Giro d'Italia comes to town. Normally we would not

put signed up for the event like this, but we accept the public need

to be fully informed, so our own direct labour squads are putting up

1700 of these and it will give the public plenty of time and

information. Along with last year's G8 summit this will be the biggest

traffic management scheme we will have had to do in Northern Ireland.

Day one is from the city centre to Stormont and back. Day two goes to

the Causeway Coast and back. Day three is from Armagh to Dublin. For

cycling fans it is the chance of a lifetime, the opportunity to see

some of the best riders in the world. But what about people who

want to avoid it? The road closures are going to be spread over three

days, but 200 miles of racing means a lot of traffic disruption. For

those who do not want to see the cycling, they should inform

themselves of the roots and see where the disruption is going to be

and give it a wide berth. Emergency provisions will continue to be made

as you would expect. It promises to be a colourful weekend of cycling,

but getting around parts of Northern Ireland in a car could be an uphill

task. A special concert is being held in

Dublin tonight in celebration of the late Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney.

President Michael D Higgins and the international singing star Paul

Simon are among guests at a special commemoration for the poet at the

National Concert Hall. Celebrating Seamus Heaney is part of the One

City, One Book Festival. I am a great admirer of his poetry

and I loved him dearly as a friend. I am very ploughed as proud and

pleased to be able to participate. Sport and Antrim's Mark Allen is

through to the second round of the World Snooker Championships in

Sheffield after a comfortable 10-4 win over England's Michael Holt.

He'll meet either world number one Neil Robertson or Robbie Williams in

the second round at The Crucible on Sunday.

It turned out pretty nice this afternoon and there is some nice

weather to come tomorrow, but we have had some sharp showers this

evening. They will continue for a while before easing away, so the

second half of the night will be dry. Potentially quite cool in rural

areas. Tomorrow it will be largely dry and bright with warm spells of

sunshine. The low cloud quickly disappeared through the morning and

with light winds it will soon start to feel quite warm. Down south a lot

of sunshine tomorrow as well with the odd shower breaking out. Across

eastern areas of Scotland and England it will be dull, misty and

damp to begin with, but the day will brighten up. Where the showers come

along they could be quite lengthy and on the heavy side. One or two

showers likely tomorrow afternoon, but most places most of the time are

dry. Not a bad day on Friday I to begin with. But some rain will

develop later on in the day and that is down to an area of low pressure

which will bring a change in the weather this weekend. On Saturday we

are looking at a wet day, maybe not right through the day and it will

feel cooler as well. It should dry up on sunbaked and hopefully become

a little brighter. You can keep up to date with news online and follow

us on Facebook and Twitter. Goodbye.