Five men were arrested in Hertfordshire and London yesterday, by police acting on a request from the Garda, and charged in connection with the murder of Mr Patrick "Deuce" Ward in 1999.
Three of the men, Mr Michael McDonagh (51), Mr Patrick McDonagh (31) and Mr Michael McDonagh (27), appeared at Watford Magistrates' Court each charged with murder, three charges of attempted murder, one charge of violent disorder and one charge of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
They were remanded in custody and have 15 days to appeal against their return to Ireland to face charges relating to Mr Ward's murder at Carrownanty Cemetery, Ballymote, Co Sligo.
The other two men, Mr Martin "Bumbee" McDonagh (56) and Mr Martin "Spider Bumbee" McDonagh (24), were arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Extradition Unit in Acton, west London, and appeared at Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court where they were remanded in custody after being charged with the same offences.
Hertfordshire Police said the arrest of the three men, who were living at the Three Cherry Tree Travellers Site in Hemel Hempstead, was carried out "in support of Garda" and involved a large number of officers from its firearms, dog handling and public order teams.
Both sets of arrests were carried out at 6 a.m. yesterday and it is understood the two men arrested in London are father and son.
Mr Patrick "Deuce" Ward (38), a father of six originally from Galway but resident in Manchester, had travelled to Ireland for the funeral of his uncle, also Patrick Ward, in Ballymote, Co Sligo on May 10th 1999.
Shots were fired before the hearse arrived and the victim was shot in the back.
One man was charged with the murder and was tried in the Central Criminal Court in February last year but the jury failed to agree a verdict.
Martin McDonagh (30) of Cherry Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, is to be re-tried on the charge in the next few months.
He is serving a five-year prison sentence after the same jury found him guilty of possession of a gun with intent to endanger life.
The jury acquitted him of the attempted murder of Edward Ward on the same occasion but failed to agree verdicts on charges of the attempted murders of Patrick "Jaws" Ward snr and "Jaws Paddy" Ward jnr.