Two men 'involved in protection racket'

TWO men were involved in a protection racket to raise funds for the dissident republican splinter group, the Continuity IRA, a court heard yesterday.

Martin Kelly, 46, and William Clare, 35, threatened to firebomb properties in Dublin and Limerick and injure those inside unless money was paid towards the terror group’s coffers, the High Court in Dublin heard.

Det Supt Peter Maguire, of the Special Detective Unit, told Mr Justice Abbott that the Dublin men were “active members of the Continuity IRA.”