A Garda chief superintendent told the Special Criminal Court yesterday that he had confidential information that a meeting of the Continuity IRA would take place in Limerick when he organised a Garda raid on a house in the city over a year ago.
Chief Supt Gerard Kelly said he "tasked" a detective inspector to investigate the planned meeting after receiving a briefing about it.
The court has heard that eight men charged with membership of an unlawful organisation were arrested when a large party of gardaí raided a house in the Shanabooley Road area of Limerick in December 2001.
Prosecuting counsel Mr John Edwards SC has told the court that gardaí found a note in the house which referred to firearms and had other references to a person "wanted for kneecap job" and to a "safe house".
He said the unlawful organisation in the case was the Continuity IRA.
Mr Edwards said the State's case against the eight men was the belief of two chief superintendents, Gerard Kelly and Sean Feeley, that the men were members of an unlawful organisation on December 17th, 2001. He said this belief was supported by other evidence, including material found during a search of the house in Limerick where the men were arrested.
All eight men have pleaded not guilty to a charge that on December 17th, 2001, within the State, they were members of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann.
They are Des Long (62), vice-president of Republican Sinn Féin, Shannon Banks, Limerick; Matt Conway (67), a member of RSF's Árd Comhairle, Nicholas St, Kilcullen, Co Kildare; Patrick Kenneally (58), Crusheen, Co Clare; Patrick O'Shea (54), Sir Harry's Mall, Limerick; Gerard "Ger" Brommell (43), Rostura Crescent, Woodview Park, Limerick; Robert McNamara (59), St Michael's Avenue, Tipperary; Joseph "Tiny" Lynch (61), Beechgrove Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick; and Christopher Dunne (28), Donnellan Buildings, Rosbrien, Limerick.
Cross-examined by Mr Martin Giblin SC, for Mr O'Shea, Chief Supt Kelly denied he had leaked information to the press in Limerick about a planned robbery around the time of the raid.
He said his belief Mr O'Shea was a member of an illegal organisation came from "human sources, not necessarily singular."
The trial continues today.