A High Court judge has ordered an inquiry into the legality of the detention of five Dublin men jailed in 2005 after being found guilty of being members of the IRA.

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.

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.