Hearings adjourned after new files are submitted

The Morris tribunal resumes its hearings in Dublin this morning, following yesterday's sudden adjournment.

The Morris tribunal resumes its hearings in Dublin this morning, following yesterday's sudden adjournment.

The tribunal was adjourned after a large number of new documents were submitted to its counsel.

Tribunal counsel did not say who had submitted the documents but said they needed time to study the material.

The tribunal had been expected to finish a cross-examination of Supt Tom Long, the garda who first documented allegations linking two gardaí with hoax explosives finds in Donegal in the early 1990s.

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The allegations were made by Ms Sheenagh McMahon, the estranged wife of one of the gardaí, Det Garda Noel McMahon.

Both Det Garda McMahon and the other garda allegedly involved, Supt Kevin Lennon, have denied the claims.

In earlier evidence, Supt Long told the tribunal that Ms McMahon had claimed her husband had held a gun to her head, before she obtained a protection order against him. He said Supt Lennon was aware of this.

He also said Ms McMahon had told him that a sergeant who had been staying at the McMahon home had found three detonators in the shed.

Ms McMahon had also been expected to begin giving evidence yesterday.

Her evidence will be very significant as her counsel has already contested Supt Long's recollection of her allegations.

Counsel for Det Garda McMahon is also expected to strenuously deny her claims.

His counsel told the tribunal that Det Garda McMahon would say the allegations were based on a mixture of "rumour, confusion and supposition".

Alison Healy

Alison Healy

Alison Healy is a contributor to The Irish Times