Defence in C-IRA trial continues submissions

The Special Criminal Court today heard further legal submissions from defence counsel for seven men accused of membership of the Continuity IRA in Limerick.

The court has been hearing submissions on the use of Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act under which the seven men were arrested by gardaí at an alleged Continuity IRA meeting in December, 2001.

Defence counsel have argued that the accused were not lawfully arrested and that they were therefore in unlawful custody when charged.

The seven accused were arrested when a large party of gardaí raided a house in the Shanabooley Road area of Limerick in December 2001 where a suspected meeting of the Continuity IRA was taking place.

It was the 38th day of the trial of the seven men who have pleaded not guilty to a charge that on December 17, 2001, within the State, they were members of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann.

They are Des Long, aged 62, Vice President of Republican Sinn Fein, of Shannon Banks, Limerick, Patrick Kenneally, aged 58, of Crusheen, Co Clare, Patrick O' Shea, aged 54, of Sir Harry's Mall, Limerick, Gerard ``Ger'' Brommell, aged 43, of Rostura Crescent, Woodview Park, Limerick, Robert McNamara, aged 59, of St Michael's Avenue, Tipperary, Joseph ''Tiny'' Lynch, aged 61, of Beechgrove Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick and Christopher Dunne, aged 28, of Donnellan Buildings, Rosbrien, Limerick.

The court will continue hearing further submissions on the issue on Tuesday before retiring to consider its ruling.