In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

Man denies being on 'IRA mission'

A Northern Ireland man has told the Special Criminal Court he was "not on a mission for the IRA" when he was arrested after a car containing guns and money was stopped by gardaí as it headed north from Dublin.

On the fourth day of his trial, Brian Quinn yesterday said he had "gone for a spin" from Newry to Dublin with two men he knew from playing pool. He knew nothing about items found by armed detectives when they stopped the car on the Swords Road. When they stopped the car he was "terrified."

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The court has heard that two rifles with telescopic sights, five mobile phones and €2,400 in cash were recovered from the car which was put under Garda surveillance as it was driven from Co Louth to Dublin.

Mr Quinn told his counsel, Conor Devally SC, he was not a member of an illegal organisation and had not been in September 2003, when he was arrested.

The trial resumes on Tuesday.

Embargo on bomb trial reporting

The judge in the Omagh bomb trial in Belfast, Mr Justice Weir, ruled yesterday that there should be an embargo on reporting of the day's proceedings at Belfast Crown Court due to difficulties with a witness.

He was not asking that the evidence should be suppressed; it could be reported at a later date, he said.

Garda appeal over missing girl

Gardaí from Arklow Garda station, Co Wicklow, are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Michelle Murphy (15), St Peters Place, Arklow.

She is described as 5ft 11in tall, thin, with with dark shoulder-length hair. She is believed to be wearing a cream-coloured hoodie with the word "Nope" in black on the front, and dark jeans.

She was also wearing a red and white wristband with the word "Poland" on it and a half-sovereign ring on the middle finger of her right hand.

The Garda Press Office said Ms Murphy has not been home since Tuesday, October 3rd, and was last seen on Thursday, October 5th, between 12.30pm and 1pm in the Basin Street area of Dublin.

Anyone with any information should contact Arklow Garda station on 0402-32304, the Garda confidential line 1800- 666111, or any Garda station.

FG councillor in intensive care

A Fine Gael county councillor from Cork is in intensive care at a hospital in Spain following a five-car pile-up.

Jim Daly (33), a father of three from Clonakilty in west Cork, is understood to have sustained internal injuries in the crash which occurred last Wednesday morning.

He had been visiting Spain to look at property. He recently gave up his job as a Gaelscoil principal in Skibbereen to become a full-time politician.