The Epstein Files: The links to Northern Ireland

Millions of files released this week shed fresh light on the links between late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his relationships with prominent political and public figures around the world.

Within those documents, published by the United States Department of Justice, are also mentions of people who are from or held high-profile roles in Northern Ireland.

There is no suggestion that merely appearing in the documents implies any wrongdoing and many of those who have featured in previous releases have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

And behind the files and the ensuing media headlines, are victims of Epstein, a well-connected financier, who died in prison in 2019, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Here are the Northern Ireland links discovered so far in the millions of files released to the public.

The former US Senator, who played a crucial role in the Northern Ireland peace process, has previously said he ended all contact with Epstein after learning of his criminal conviction in 2008.

However, the newly released emails appear to contradict the timeline of that public statement, suggesting continued contact beyond the point at which Mitchell said the relationship had ceased.

There were also further references to an earlier claim he had sex with Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre, an allegation which he has previously denied.

Queen's University Belfast has broken its ties with the senator, though "no findings of wrongdoing...have been made", who served as the university's chancellor from 1999 to 2009. Belfast City Council is now considering a proposal to revoke Senator Mitchell's Freedom of the City honour, citing concerns about his links to Epstein.

Mitchell has denied all wrongdoing, as well as any knowledge of Epstein's "illegal or inappropriate conduct with underage women" and has expressed regret for having known Epstein.

Former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Bertie Ahern told Irish broadcaster RTÉ he felt it was "not clear", what Mitchell was "being accused of" and the nature of redactions in the FBI files meant it was unclear to him whether Mitchell and Epstein did indeed maintain contact after 2008.

"If he did, he shouldn't have - but it's not clear," he added.

Further revelations about Lord Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein are threatening to end Sir Keir Starmer's time as prime minister.

Lord Mandelson, who served as Northern Ireland secretary between 2000 and 2001, was appointed US ambassador by the prime minister just over a year ago - a role he has now been sacked from, with Sir Keir accusing him of lying about the extent of his relationship with Epstein during the vetting process.

The latest tranche of documents has unearthed new information about the convicted sex offender's contact with Lord Mandelson.

They include an exchange about strippers on the day Epstein was released from prison in 2009; a joke about Lord Mandelson's "lack of sex"; and emails which appear to suggest he forwarded on market-sensitive information to Epstein when he was business secretary in 2009.

A criminal investigation has been launched into Lord Mandelson over allegations of misconduct in public office.

Mandelson has not responded to requests for comment, but the BBC understands that he maintains he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain. He has previously expressed his regret at continuing his relationship with Epstein after his conviction and apologised to his victims.

Shaun Woodward, a former Labour MP who served as Northern Ireland secretary in 2009 to 2010, is mentioned in the emails.

In an email exchange from 2009, Ghislaine Maxwell - who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for her role in Epstein's crimes - tells Epstein she was intending to have dinner with Woodward.

In September 2010, a released file features Epstein's personal assistant Lesley Groff asking him if it might be interesting to invite Woodward to an unknown event. In it, he's mistakenly referred to as the former prime minister of Northern Ireland - a role that has not existed since 1972.

Woodward told The Nolan Show earlier this week he had never spoken to, met or wanted to meet Jeffrey Epstein, and had not been invited to meet him.

"I knew Ghislane Maxwell – everyone knew her who was in government at the time because she was Bob Maxwell's daughter and who could not know Robert Maxwell [the late disgraced Labour MP and media mogul] if you were involved in politics.

"What we are still not doing is discussing the girls and young women who were systematically abused by Jeffrey Epstein," he said, adding that people were being "distracted" from that by celebrity names.

Another email in the released documents, between Epstein and the then Prince Andrew, features another name with links to Northern Ireland - Lord Swire, a Minister of State for Northern Ireland from 2010 to 2012.

Lord Swire is described as having asked "a very direct question" about the continued friendship between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein.

The email, from May 2010, from Mountbatten-Windsor says Lord Swire asked David Rowland, described by Andrew as "my trusted money man", if the former prince was still seeing Epstein.

At this stage, Epstein had served a jail term for soliciting and procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution and was a registered sex offender.

The email also touches on Mandelson, indicating an occasion where Prince Andrew appeared to be relaying information from ministerial conversations to Epstein.

A major Northern Ireland sports figure mentioned in the files is former Formula One driver Eddie Irvine.

He previously spoke about his friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell and in 2020 said he "wouldn't be surprised if I'm in Epstein's black book", adding he was unaware of their criminal activities.

In 2003, prior to any of Epstein or Maxwell's convictions, a man called David Wassong emailed the English socialite asking if she was going to send him "names and numbers of people to play with in Ireland".

Maxwell responds with Irvine's details. She also introduced the former Ferrari F1 driver to other acquaintances the same year, according to emails.

In September 2003, she writes to Jonathan Keidan asking if he can help secure Irvine a ticket to a Dave Matthews concert.

He replies they are the "hardest tickets to get" but that he'll make a few phone calls.

In a 2020 interview, Irvine spoke about attending parties organised by Epstein and Maxwell in New York and Miami. He said he saw Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's accuser Virginia Giuffre at one event, but presumed she was about 20.

"I knew Ghislaine reasonably well," he told The Belfast Telegraph..

"I spoke to her from time to time and I spoke to [Epstein] from time to time. Ghislaine was always super sweet and a super nice lady.

"When I was around, it was just a normal dinner, just parties. There'd just be a party where some people would turn up and some people wouldn't. But about that other stuff, I have no idea."

He said he has never visited Epstein's island, his home or was on his plane.

The Belfast-based solicitor Paul Tweed has confirmed to Talkback that he acted for Epstein in 2011.

Emails show detailed exchanges between Tweed, Epstein and Epstein's publicist Mike Sitrick concerning media coverage in the UK, including discussions where Epstein seeks to challenge media descriptions of him as a "paedophile" and hopes that Sarah Ferguson, then Duchess of York, can release a statement to that effect.

Tweed offers legal advice in terms of what statement could be released.

The email appears to come off the back of an email from Sarah Ferguson.

In another email, correspondence quoted from Paul Tweed appears to propose a media strategy over comments allegedly made by Sarah Ferguson about Epstein.

Paul Tweed has also acted for Sarah Ferguson and has had a personal friendship with both Sarah and Andrew.

In a statement to BBC News NI, Mr Tweed said: "I provided some limited advice to Epstein in 2011. I never met him but had an exchange of emails and phone calls with him.

"My engagement was terminated after several months due to a variety of factors, including that my advices were not acceptable to Epstein."

Away from the files DUP MP Carla Lockhart has called for a "full review" after claiming that Jeffrey Epstein had visited Hillsborough Castle on at least one occasion, speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday.