Senator James Heffernan accuses Sinn Fein of protecting Det Gda Adrian Donohoe’s killers

Limerick senator James Heffernan has said the terror group remains a major threat, describing it as  an “insidious, vile, grotesque cancer” which he believes “must be stood up to”.

And he accused unnamed but senior members of the Sinn Fein party of protecting the identity of the murderers of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe – a claim the party has consistently denied.

Mr Heffernan made the remarks after he attended the vigil mass for the slain detective in Dundalk last week.

In a poignant interview on Limerick’s 95fm today, Mr Heffernan said he broke down into “floods of tears” after he met Mr Donohoe’s young son.

Mr Heffernan says he showed Mr Donohoe’s son how to hold a candle at the mass, to which the child replied:

“’Yeah, but why did it have to be my Da, why  did it have to be my Da?’”

According to Mr Heffernan, who quit the Labour Party in 2012, he later broke down in tears following the experience of meeting the Donohoe family.

“What do you say to that?  I was absolutely speechless, speechless. I put my hand on the child’s back and said ‘Im sorry I’m sorry’,” he told presenter Joe Nash.

I could not get that statement out of my head,” he added.

Mr Hefferan suggested on the programme that he intends to stand in the next general election as a result of the threat allegedly still posed by the PIRA.

But he claimed that Sinn Fein knows the identities of the detective’s killers and has refused to divulge the information.

I broke down in floods, it had such an effect on me.

“There are people within Sinn Fein’s at the very highest levels who know who carried this heinous, most heinous of crimes. They are allowing and supporting and protecting these murderers, the same way that they tried to do it with the murderers of Gerry McCabe in Adare,” he said.

Such an accusation has been levelled at the party before and has been consistently denied by party figures such as Gerry Adams.

Commenting on the matter previously, Mr Adams said:

"I do not know who killed Adrian Donohoe. I read in the media that the gardai know. I have listened to well placed journalists saying that one of these people is in Australia and that one of these people is in the US.

"There is no doubt - because the gardai have not denied it – that they know who was involved. I think everyone should co-operate with the gardai and the PSNI so that they are subject to due process."

Sinn Fein figures have also consistently claimed that the IRA is no longer in existence.

Det Gda Donohoe was gunned down outside Lordship Credit Union in the Co Louth village of Bellurgan while escorting staff on their way to lodge cash in the night safe in Dundalk.

It is understood that key suspects have fled the jurisdiction.

Independent.ie is awaiting a comment from Sinn Fein in response to Mr Heffernan’s interview.

Mr Heffernan has admitted that he has become “cynical” about politics in recent months, describing Leinster House as a “disappointing” place.

But his decision to run in the general election will come as a major headache for the sitting government TDs in Limerick. Mr Heffernan narrowly missed out on a Dail seat during the 2011 general election, securing over 10,000 first preference votes.

Mr Heffernan has fallen out with some of his party colleagues and is currently embroiled in a row with Labour senator John Gilroy over office space.

The party has told Mr Heffernan to vacate the shared office given that he no longer holds the whip. However, Mr Heffernan has refused to leave and has referred the matter to the Oireachtas authorities.

A Sinn Fein spokesman completely rejected Mr Heffernan's claims.

"This is a wild and untrue accusation from Senator Heffernan who is obviously looking for some publicity," he said.