Louth man wins appeal against IRA membership charges

The Supreme Court has halted the trial of a Co Louth man on a charge of membership of an illegal organisation.

The three-judge court ruled today that the failure to charge Barry O'Brien "immediately" after his rearrest on April 8, 2004, meant his subsequent detention for more than 15 hours prior to his being charged before the non-jury Special Criminal Court the following day, Good Friday 2004, was unlawful.