Gardaí continue to question five men over links to Continuity IRA

FIVE members of Republican Sinn Féin were still being questioned last night in connection with dissident republican activity.

All five were arrested by armed gardaí as they watched Ireland's European Championship qualifier in the popular Limerick bar, Punch's.

One of the five was released from prison six weeks ago after serving a term for possession of a firearm.

The men deny any involvement in dissident republican activity and say they were only in the pub to watch the match.

A spokesman for the party said the arrests were part of an ongoing campaign of harassment against a legal political party.

Republican Sinn Féin vice president Des Long himself due for trial early next year on the charge of being a member of the Continuity IRA claimed those arrested were just watching the soccer match and were not holding any meeting.

He said the five, along with three others, had gathered in Punch's pub for a social evening to celebrate the release from prison of 28-year-old Dubliner Colm Maguire. He was released in early September.

Armed detectives entered the pub shortly before 8pm and approached the table where the men were drinking.

Those arrested offered no resistance as they were escorted out of the pub, where at least 100 people had gathered to watch the match.

The five, two from Dublin and three from Limerick and aged in their 20s and 30s, were taken to Henry Street Garda station for questioning.

They are being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be questioned for 72 hours.

Garda sources said a car containing various documents was seized during Wednesday night's operation, described as a major breakthrough in ongoing investigations into suspected dissident republican activity.

The five men's solicitor, John Devane, said his clients deny being members of the Continuity IRA.

"They were just having a few pints and watching the big match in a pub when they were arrested," he said.

Gardaí have made a number of arrests in Limerick over the past year as part of investigations into the Continuity IRA.

Last December, eight people were arrested in a house in Ballynanty Beg. All eight including Mr Long were charged at the Special Criminal Court with IRA membership and will go on trial in January.

Bail conditions imposed on six of the eight mean they are barred from canvassing in the Nice Referendum and banned from attending this weekend's annual Republican Sinn Féin conference, it has emerged.

The six unsuccessfully attempted to have the tough bail conditions overturned in order to canvass in the referendum.

Under the bail conditions, they can take no part in the activities, or have any contact with members, of Republican Sinn Féin, the political party most closely linked with the CIRA.