A Dublin man dramatically changed his plea and admitted membership of an illegal organisation during the fourth day of his trial at the Special Criminal Court today.

A murder trial jury was sent to a hotel overnight after failing to reach a verdict in the case of a 21-year-old man accused of murdering another man in Dublin in 2001.

A witness told a murder trial jury today that a group of people at a house party “panicked” because they thought an angry gang was waiting outside the house.

Two men have appeared before a special sitting of the Special Criminal Court in Dublin charged with membership of the IRA.