A Polish man, who two weeks ago prevented his extradition by refusing to board a plane at Dublin Airport because of an expressed fear of flying, was yesterday allowed to remain in the State until an appeal against his surrender by air is heard next week.

Two Sligo men have appeared at an out-of-term sitting of the Special Criminal Court charged with membership of the IRA.

A Monaghan man appearing at an out-of-hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court in Dublin tonight has been charged with IRA membership.

A retired garda chief superintendent yesterday told the High Court he asked the State Solicitor for West Cork in 1998 to raise the Garda case against Ian Bailey directly with the DPP, rather than any of his officials.

The State Solicitor for West Cork, Malachy Boohig, said he was asked to attend a meeting in Bandon Garda Station in March 1998 where it was made clear gardaí were unhappy the DPP had opted not to charge Ian Bailey over the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

A man charged with IRA membership and the possession of a handgun has protested the use of video link to facilitate his appearance in court.

Two men have appeared before the non-jury Special Criminal Court this evening charged with IRA membership and the possession of a semi-automatic pistol in south Dublin.

A man yesterday appeared in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court charged with 50 counts of sexual offences against two young girls.

A 55-year-old man has appeared before the Special Criminal Court this afternoon charged with the possession of explosives at Finnstown House Hotel on Sunday.

A book of evidence has been served on the first Lithuanian to be charged before the Special Criminal Court and another man who are both accused of the possession of a .32 calibre handgun.

Four Dublin men have been charged at the Special Criminal Court with the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly.

A Co Monaghan man charged with IRA membership and firearms offensives has been further charged with the possession of shotgun cartridges.

A man charged in connection with an alleged surveillance operation on the Dublin headquarters of a number of specialist garda units has been granted bail at the Special Criminal Court.

A man has this evening been charged in connection with an alleged surveillance operation on the Dublin headquarters of a number of specialist garda units.

A Dublin man charged with IRA membership and extortion has been remanded in custody by the Special Criminal Court as the DPP has still not given its directions.

The State has two weeks to indicate when a book of evidence against two Dublin men charged with extortion and IRA membership charges will be served.

A Co Clare man charged with possessing explosives has been freed on bail by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.

Two Dublin men appeared before a special sitting of the Special Criminal Court this evening charged with IRA membership and firearms offences.

Two Limerick brothers who are charged with threatening to kill a mother, and her daughter and son, applied for legal aid and the imposiition of a "media blackout" during their first appearance before the Special Criminal Court this morning.

UP to 1,600 hours of CCTV footage is being scanned by gardaí as part of the double murder investigation into Des Kelly and Breda Waters, who were shot dead in Limerick’s Southill estate last Sunday morning.

The State has been given another four weeks to get the DPP's directions in the case of two men charged with assaulting a Polish national, who died after he was attacked in Coolock, in Dublin.

A NIGHTCLUB which indicated its intention to seek an exemption from Limerick District Court to open from 12.01am on Saturday after the Good Friday pub exemption finished in the city for a big rugby game, did not proceed with its application.

Three British men appeared at a special court sitting tonight charged in connection with the massive 1.7 tonne cocaine haul seized from a yacht off the west coast.

THE completed garda file on the Northern Bank raid and alleged IRA money laundering is due to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions within the next few weeks.

Firearms were found in a burned-out getaway car used by the killers of two men in south Dublin last night, Justice Minister Michael McDowell said today.

Fine Gael has vowed to make another effort to secure an extension of the Morris Tribunal's terms of reference, this time by tabling a private members' motion in the Senate.

THE Morrison Tribunal of Inquiry into allegations of corruption against some members of the Garda Síochána in Donegal formally opened yesterday amid doubt that, it its present restricted format, it will be successful in arriving at a conclusion sufficiently transparent to calm public concern.

A FATHER whose six-year-old son died in a fall on a building site welcomed a District Court judge's decision to move the case to a higher court because the maximum fine he could impose on the builders was only €1,900.