Gardai investigating the murder of Dundalk publican Mr Stephen Connolly last July have sent files on five men to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Gardai believe Mr Connolly (26) had a disagreement with a criminal gang associated with the INLA and refused to pay it protection money for a pub he ran in Dundalk and that this refusal led to his death.
Three of the files relate to the attempted abduction and shooting of Mr Connolly by a gang of five men in March 2000. The other two files relate to possession of firearms on July 28th, 2000, the night Mr Connolly was shot dead in Dundalk.