As someone living in Birmingham in November 1974 when the IRA bombed two bars in ther city centre, the horror and fears of the people of Madrid this week feel all too familiar. However, as the news filters in that the Spanish authorities have detained five people in connection with the bombings in Madrid, I have other feelings of Deja vu.
Just 13 years ago today, the six Irishmen swept up by the police in the immediate aftermath of the bombings were finally released after spending more than 16 years in prison for something they patently did not do.
