CIRA trial to resume on Tuesday

The defence case in the biggest ever trial of dissident republicans at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin will continue next Tuesday.

Two of the accused, Des Long , Vice President of Republican Sinn Fein (RSF) and Joseph "Tiny" Lynch, the Limerick PRO of RSF, have already told the court that they are not members of any illegal organisation.

A third accused, Patrick Kenneally, is due to give defence evidence when the trial resumes on Tuesday.

The court has heard evidence from Chief Superintendent Gerard Kelly that he believed each of the accused was a member of an illegal organisation on December 17, 2001.

The prosecution has claimed that the Chief Superintendent's evidence was corroborated by a note found during a search of a house in Limerick which referred to firearms.

The court ruled last week that interviews with the seven accused conducted by the gardai after their arrest were inadmissible in evidence.

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

The seven men 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 Mc Namara (aged 59), of St Michael's Avenue, Tipperary, Joseph ''Tiny'' Lynch (aged 62), of Beechgrove Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick and Christopher Dunne (aged 28), of Donnellan Buildings, Rosbrien, Limerick.