At the Special Criminal Court, a trial concerning two men charged with membership of an unlawful organisation has entered legal argument over mobile phone data retention. Laurence Murphy, aged 62, from Bettystown, County Meath, and Ray Kennedy, aged 39, from Blanchardstown, Dublin, have both pleaded not guilty to the membership charge. Kennedy faces an additional charge of perverting the course of justice by destroying a mobile telephone SIM card on 6 March 2013. The trial centres on the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011, with proceedings delayed pending a Supreme Court decision in December on a challenge to the legislation. The prosecution alleges the defendants were involved in the killing of dissident republican Peter Butterly, shot in a carpark in Gormanston, County Meath in March 2013. Four men have already received life sentences for the murder, with two others jailed for roles in the killing. The court heard of gatherings at McDonough Caravan Park in Bettystown and at Charlestown Shopping Centre allegedly connected to the incident.
Source links
Original report plus public source leads and related archive reports used for review context.
Public source leads
- Two men go on trial charged over 'meticulously-planned killing' of dissident republican Peter Butterly - Irish Independent Irish Independent · Tue, 08 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT
- Trial opens of two men charged in connection with murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly - Irish Examiner Irish Examiner · Tue, 08 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT
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Irish Republican Army - The Irish Times
irishtimes.com
May 13, 2026 · This topic contains articles relating to the original IRA from the time of the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921).
- Peter Butterly's widow told gardaí that IRA-accused was 'good friend' to them both - Irish Examiner Irish Examiner · Thu, 10 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT
Related court reports
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IRA accused sent text to victim's wife's phone minutes before he was shot dead, trial hears
Courts News Ireland · 2019-11-08
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Peter Butterly shooting an "IRA operation", State's witness tells trial
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A witness in the Special Criminal Court has testified that the shooting of dissident republican Peter Butterly in Gormanston, County Meath on 6 March 2013 was an "IRA...
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