January 4 1974

Co-operation between north and south to beat the gunmen took another step forward yesterday when the Garda Commissioner, Mr Patrick Malone, travelled to Belfast for two-hour talks with the RUC Chief Constable Mr James Flanagan, at police headquarters. It is understood the discussion was primarily about security, the training of IRA men in the south and their movement across the border.

A statement afterwards referred only to “a wide range of subjects of mutual interest and concern and action being taken on these matters”. It was the first formal get-together by the two men and they agreed to hold further meetings.

The talks took place as about 20 men were being arrested in swoops by security forces in Donegal, Monaghan and Louth on Wednesday night.

The detentions were condemned last night by Mr Ruairi O Bradaigh, president of Provisional Sinn Féin. He described the raids as “a last-minute effort to shore up the position of Mr Brian Faulkner, architect of internment”.

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It was learned last night that Martin McGuinness, said to have once headed the Provisionals in Derry, avoided arrest by minutes in the swoops.

McGuinness (23) fled with five other men as gardaí closed in on two houses outside Buncrana.

Despite claims by unionists and the British government that the Irish government was not doing enough to curb the threat of the IRA, gardaí did increase cooperation with the RUC and new laws were introduced to stifle the threat the Irish government believed the IRA posed to the Irish state.

Bread, Beans, Bars of Chocolate All Going Up

Housewives will face a new round of price increases next week on a wide range of food and confectionary. Bread is expected to cost another 1p on Monday, while Heinz and Cadbury-Schweppes have been given the go-ahead to implement increases on some of their products.

The three major bakery groups applied to the Price Commission a month ago to raise their prices. The increase will mean a standard wrapped loaf will cost 13½p, compared with 10½p last January. It is expected the price of small loaves will remain unchanged.

Heinz have been allowed increases on some of their products including 2p on some tins of baked beans.

Cadbury-Schweppes price rises cover many brands of confectionary. A bar of dairy milk chocolate will go up 1p to 6p and some other products will have their weight reduced.

Next Monday’s bread price rise will “inevitably” be followed by further increases in the next few months, leading bakers said yesterday.

The cost of living crisis showed no signs of abating as price increases were announced for household goods such as bread, beans and chocolate.