Defence submissions continue at Special Criminal Court

Defence submissions continued today at the Special Criminal Court trial of seven men accused of membership of the Continuity IRA in Limerick in 2001.

The seven men all denied on oath during the trial that they were members of an illegal organisation and said that they had been attending a meeting of Republican Sinn Fein when gardai raided a house in the Shanabooley Road area of the city.

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 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.

It was the 47th day of the trial of 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 59), 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.

Legal submissions in the trial are due to continue tomorrow.