Irish Officials Discuss Existence and Activities of IRA Mole ‘Stakeknife’ Years Before Public Unmasking

In a newly released account from the National Archives, it has been revealed that Irish officials were aware of the existence and activities of the IRA mole codenamed ‘Stakeknife’ long before he was publicly unmasked. They were also assessing intelligence regarding British collusion in the killing of an innocent man who was wrongly identified as the double agent.

Stakeknife, a high-level spy working for the British government, operated within the IRA’s notorious “nutting squad” during the Troubles. This squad was responsible for interrogating suspected informers.

Freddie Scappaticci, a West Belfast man who was widely alleged to be Stakeknife, passed away earlier this year, consistently denying the claims made against him.

In 1987, Francisco Notarantonio, another West Belfast man, was tragically killed in his home by a member of the Ulster Freedom Fighters. This individual wrongly believed that Notarantonio was the double agent. Notarantonio had previously been involved with the IRA in the 1940s but had since led a normal life as a taxi driver.

It was alleged that loyalist paramilitary Brian Nelson had provided Notarantonio’s name to protect the true identity of Stakeknife. Nelson himself was secretly working on behalf of the British Army and served as an intelligence chief for the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) after being recruited by the British military.

During the Troubles, Nelson played a role in directing loyalist killers towards republican targets. Furthermore, there are allegations that he had knowledge of the plot to murder solicitor Pat Finucane but did not inform the British military. Nelson was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison on five counts of conspiracy to murder and passed away in 2003.

In 2003, Scappaticci was widely named as Stakeknife. However, he consistently maintained his innocence until his death earlier this year.

The recently released account from the Department of Foreign Affairs details a meeting between Notarantonio’s daughter and officials in April 2001. During this meeting, Hugh Orde, then-Deputy Assistant Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, confirmed the existence of Stakeknife. Orde had been involved in the Stevens report, a series of inquiries into collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and British state forces. He informed the family’s lawyer that there was State collusion in Notarantonio’s murder, although he added that the situation was not “black and white”.

Charlotte Notarantonio described her father’s killing as a “state-sponsored execution” of an innocent man. The family felt that their campaign for justice was being overshadowed by other high-profile cases.

In recent years, prosecutors in Northern Ireland announced that no prosecutions would be pursued following the latest consideration of files from Operation Kenova, a major investigation into Stakeknife. The Public Prosecution Service thoroughly examined five files concerning 16 individuals, including one police officer and six military personnel, connected to Stakeknife and the activities of the British security services, including MI5.

These revelations shed light on the long-standing discussions and assessments made by Irish officials regarding Stakeknife and the alleged collusion between British forces and loyalist paramilitaries. The release of these State Papers serves as a reminder of the complex and troubled history of Anglo-Irish relations and the ongoing pursuit of justice.