‘There’s nothing in finding those behind my father’s death’

One of the island of Ireland’s most recognisable police officers has said there would be “nothing in it” for his family if a case was opened into his father’s murder.

Drew Harris was an officer for 35 years in Northern Ireland before being appointed Garda commissioner, the leader of the Republic of Ireland’s police force, in 2018, a role he held until last year.

His father, Alwyn Harris, was killed in 1989 in Lisburn when an IRA bomb exploded under his car as he was on his way to a church service with his wife, who survived the attack.

Dealing with Troubles’ deaths has been controversial, with the UK government introducing a new bill to address the issue of legacy cases last year.

This replaced the 2023 Legacy Act. which was opposed by many families of victims due to the offer of a conditional amnesty from prosecution for those willing to cooperate.

Speaking to The Royal Irish Academy podcast My Identity, Harris spoke about the impact of his father’s murder on his family.

His father was a RUC superintendent who served for 33 years before his death and was “coming towards probably the end of this service”, Harris said.

“It was just like somebody took a white hot poker to your soul,” he said.

“It just really ripped me and the family in two.”

Harris said the murder did not stop his career in the police.

“I think, I had a desire to make my father proud in terms of being a success in policing,” he said.

“I think perhaps that’s one of the best answers to such an event… to go on and lead a fulfilling life, almost in contradiction to what the legend would be of you.”

Harris said 37 years on, his family have heard nothing in relation to his father’s murder.

“I’m actually, in truth, I’m a little bit jaded about it all,” he said.

He recalled going to reviews of cold cases from the Troubles in 2002 with his mother, and how the process seemed to be too late even then.

“There was a huge amount of work bringing all the murder files together,” he said.

“There was a huge archive piece of work that was undertaken by PSNI and those archives still exist… but it’s all a little bit too late.”

Harris said he doesn’t “know what the answer is” to addressing legacy cases.

“In some ways, I’ve disengaged from it because I just feel there’s nothing in it for me there and there’s nothing in it for my family either.”

He said it would be “the worst thing” if a case on his father’s murder was reopened.

“Practically, what difference does that make? My mother’s still alive. She’s been now nearly 37 years without my father.”

However, Harris did accept that all victims are entitled to their own view.

“I think very little thought was given to the victims for years and years… it’s all a wee bit too late now,” he said.

“The magnitude of the loss and the magnitude of the ongoing loss is such that two years in prison hasn’t gone to weigh the scales around that. “