The Central Criminal Court sat outside of Dublin for the first time this morning with two murder trials listed before Mr Justice Paul JP Carney in Limerick.
The move follows an order of the President of the High Court Joseph Finnegan, that the court be moved to hear murder trials where the accused are from Limerick.
It is hoped the move will reduce a backlog of murder trials and minimise the costs and inconvenience to gardaí, witnesses and victims attending trials.
A jury was sworn in this morning for the trial of Limerick man John Mc Namara who is accused of murder and the trial will start at 2 p.m.
The Central Criminal Court will hear cases in Limerick until legal holidays at the end of this month before resuming in November. It is expected that the court will remain in Limerick for at least two years although any long-term decision on the court's future will come from the President of the High Court.
The move was prompted by a sharp rise in concern at the level of serious crime in Limerick city in May this year following the murder of Mr Robert Fitzgerald (23) at Moyross. The city has seen seven unlawful killings so far this year and there are 12 murder trials with defendants from Limerick awaiting trial.
A number of other young men have been shot at and two brothers were abducted.
Having the Central Criminal Court sit in Limerick is part of a package of measures aimed at reducing the backlog of cases before the court. An increase of 70 per cent in the number of murder cases between 1996 and 2001 and a sharp increase in the number of rape cases are contributing to the backlog.
There are 30 murder cases awaiting trial with Dublin defendants and five cases with Cork defendants.
