The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgement on appeals by five Dublin men, described by a garda chief superintendent as members of the Dublin Brigade of the Provisional IRA, against their convictions for membership of an illegal organisation.

THE indivisible links between Sinn Féin and the IRA were further exposed yesterday as the Special Criminal Court sentenced five IRA men found with CS gas canisters, a stun gun, pick-axe handles, balaclavas and SF posters.

Five Dublin men were each jailed for four years by the Special Criminal Court today for membership of the Provisional IRA.

The Special Criminal Court has reserved judgment today in the trial of five Dublin men accused of IRA membership after their arrest in Bray in October 2002.

The Special Criminal Court ruled today that garda interviews with five Dublin men arrested in Bray and later charged with IRA membership were not admissible in evidence because they were detained in a garda station for 20 hours with little or no sleep.

The Special Criminal Court today rejected defence submissions that five Dublin men arrested in Bray and later charged with IRA membership had been unlawfully arrested and detained.

The Special Criminal Court today rejected a claim from five men accused of IRA membership that their arrest and detention was unlawful.

The Special Criminal Court has reserved judgement in a defence application in the trial of five men accused of IRA membership following their arrest in Bray, Co Wicklow.

A senior Special Branch officer told the Special Criminal Court today that he went to Bray garda station after he was told by one of his officers that he believed five men arrested for theft were members of the Provisional IRA.

Gardaí recovered a large quantity of Sinn Féin posters, including election posters for Sinn Féin TD Aengus O' Snodaigh, from a car in which they also found a stun gun and CS gas canister, the trial of five men accused of IRA membership heard today.

A detective garda patrolling north Dublin said he drove to Bray Garda Station out of "boredom" on the night a group of men were arrested under suspicious circumstances, the Special Criminal Court heard today in the trial of five men accused of membership of an illegal organisation.

A judge at the Special Criminal Court today criticised the defence counsel of five men accused of membership of an illegal organisation, saying that he would be "less irritable" if he knew what the defence was.

The trial of five Dublin men accused of membership of an illegal organisation was told the arresting gardaí had "no suspicion at all" the men allegedly had any links to the IRA, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

Five Dublin men accused of membership of an illegal organisation were only under suspicion for theft until gardaí saw the tattoos of one of the accused in custody, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

Gardaí recovered a CS gas canister, a stun gun, pick-axe handles, balaclavas and a fake garda jacket after five men seen acting suspiciously by an off duty Special Branch officer were arrested in Bray, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told today.

The trial of five Dublin men charged with IRA membership was adjourned until next year by the Special Criminal Court today after the court heard that a key prosecution witness in the case was recently involved in a serious car accident.

The Special Criminal Court in Dublin today fixed a date in November for the trial of five men arrested after gardai intercepted an alleged IRA operation in Bray, Co Wicklow last year.

Four Dublin men arrested after an off duty Special Branch detective spotted suspicious activity in Bray, Co Wicklow last week were taking part in an IRA operation, the Special Criminal Court was told today.

Five Dublin men were charged at a special sitting of the Special Criminal Court today with IRA membership.