Eight men went on trial at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday in the biggest trial yet in the State of suspected members of the dissident republican group, the Continuity IRA.
The president of Republican Sinn Féin (RSF), Mr Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, was among the large crowd in the public gallery for the opening of the trial.
The court was told the eight men, including the vice-president of Republican Sinn Féin, were arrested after a Garda surveillance operation on suspected dissident republicans in the Limerick area. The court heard gardaí raided a house in Limerick where the men had assembled.
Mr John Edwards SC, prosecuting, said 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". Mr Edwards said that the State's case against the eight men was the belief of two Chief Superintendents, Gerard Kelly and Sean Feeley, that they were members of an unlawful organisation on December 17th, 2001.
All eight men pleaded not guilty to a charge that on December 17th, 2001, they were members of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann.
They are Mr Des Long (62), vice-president of Republican Sinn Féin, Shannon Banks, Limerick; Mr Matt Conway (67), a member of RSF's ard comhairle, Nicholas Street, Kilcullen, Co Kildare; Mr Patrick Kenneally (58), Crusheen, Co Clare; Mr Patrick O'Shea (54), Sir Harry's Mall, Limerick; Mr Gerard "Ger" Brommell (43), Rostura Crescent, Woodview Park, Limerick; Mr Robert McNamara (58), St Michael's Avenue, Tipperary; Mr Joseph "Tiny" Lynch (61), Beechgrove Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick, and Mr Christopher Dunne (28), Donnellan Buildings, Rosbrien, Limerick.
Opening the prosecution case, Mr Edwards said the eight men were arrested at a house in Shanabooley Road, Ballynanty, Limerick. The accused were observed arriving at the house at different times and after a search warrant was issued, a large party of gardaí approached the house.
When gardaí entered the house they saw three men, Mr Brommell, Mr Dunne and Mr Lynch running out the back door and they were arrested. Mr Long was arrested as he went towards the rear of the house and the rest of the accused were arrested in the sitting room.
Mr Edwards said that during a search of the house at Shanabooley Road, gardaí found a note on a table in the sitting room. The note referred to firearms, a person "wanted for a kneecap job", a "safe house" and "who gave order". The trial continues.