Defendant denies paramilitary membership
One of seven men arrested at an alleged Continuity IRA meeting in Limerick told gardaí that the men were all members of Republican Sinn Fein and not members of an illegal organisation, the Special Criminal Court was told today.
Detective Sergeant Declan Mulcahy told the court that Patrick Kenneally told him during an interview: "I don't believe any of them are members of the IRA. They are members of Republican Sinn Fein."
Cross examined by Kenneally's counsel Mr Donagh Mc Donagh SC, the Detective Sergeant denied that he was using "trick" questions in his interviews with Kenneally.
Detective Sergeant Mulcahy agreed with Mr McDonagh that there was never any suggestion during his interviews with Kenneally that Kenneally had guns.
He also agreed that he did question Kenneally about references to guns on a piece of paper found in the house where he was arrested.
He told Mr Mc Donagh that some of the questions he asked Kenneally were from a prepared script but he did not know who had prepared those questions.
He said he had been given the questions at a briefing before the interviews which had been attended by a large number of gardaí.
The Detective Sergeant said that the interviews with Kenneally had not been videotaped because they were conducted at Mayorstone Garda Station which did not have videotaping facilities.
The court has heard that the seven men were arrested when a large party of gardaí raided a house in the Shanabooley Road area of Limerick in December 2001.
The seven accused 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 McNamara, aged 59, of St Michael's Avenue, Tipperary, Joseph "Tiny" Lynch, aged 61, of Beechgrove Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick and Christopher Dunne, aged 28, of Donnellan Buildings, Rosbrien, Limerick.
It is the biggest trial of dissident republicans ever held at the Special Criminal Court. The trial continues tomorrow.
