A round-up of today's other home news in brief
Two held over loyalist killing are released
Two men arrested by police in Northern Ireland over the loyalist murder of a Sinn Féin councillor in Co Donegal 18 years ago were released without charge last night.
A 41-year-old man was arrested earlier today in the north west of the province at the request of the Garda. A second man aged 45 was arrested a short time later when he presented himself to a police station in Co Antrim.
Donegal councillor Eddie Fullerton was shot dead by the loyalist Ulster Freedom Fighters at his home just across the Donegal border in Buncrana.
The two men were questioned at the serious crime suite in Antrim before being released unconditionally, a PSNI spokesman said.
Just before the releases, Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness said it was his hope that the arrests would mark the beginning of the emergence of the truth surrounding the murder “and the subsequent failure of the Guards and the RUC to rigorously pursue his killers”.
Warning on counterfeit 20s
Gardaí in Galway have issued a warning after a large number of counterfeit €20 notes emerged in circulation in the city during the Volvo Ocean Race over the past two weeks.
It is believed that criminals had availed of the huge influx of people to the city to circulate thousands of euro worth of counterfeit notes.
Gardaí are concerned that with the Galway Arts Festival due to begin, followed by the Galway Races, that criminals will continue to pass the counterfeit notes into circulation.
Gardaí at Mill Street station in the city (091-538000) are investigating.
SF opposes courts decision
Sinn Féin’s Policing Board member, Martina Anderson, has criticised an announcement that the Northern Ireland Office plans to extend the use of non-jury Diplock courts for two years.
Ms Anderson said: “The Sinn Féin position on Diplock courts is crystal clear. These repressive courts are unacceptable, are part of a failed agenda and their use must be ended. Diplock courts have no place in an acceptable and accountable justice system.”
Murder suspect arrested again
Gardaí investigating a gangland murder have arrested a key suspect in the case for the second time, writes Conor Lally.
The man is being questioned about the shooting dead of Dubliner John Carroll (33) in Grumpy Jack’s pub in Dublin’s south inner city on February 18th last.
The suspect was among seven people arrested over the killing in the days after the fatal drug-related attack. Gardaí believe the man was at the scene of the shooting and was centrally involved in the murder.
The 27-year-old was arrested in Dublin 8 yesterday morning. He is being detained at Kevin St garda station under Section 30 of the Offences the State Act. He can been held for 72 hours without charge.
John Carroll was known to gardaí for his links to the drugs trade. He was a target of the Garda National Drugs Unit for a number of years.
Gardaí believe he was involved in organising drug smuggling routes from the UK and Europe for gangs operating in Ireland. He worked for a number of Dublin drug gangs, but was not affiliated to any particular gang.