GARDAI found a massive van bomb and more explosives in adjacent outhouses near the Border, the Special Criminal Court was told yesterday.
The court heard that a former member of Republican Sinn Fein's ardcomhairle was arrested at gunpoint close to the scene of the find after a Garda search in Co Monaghan.
Mr Michael Hegarty (43) sacked his legal team shortly before his trial was due to start yesterday.
When arraigned he told the court: "Josephine Hayden is a political prisoner, the only woman political prisoner in the Free State. She is being held in Limerick Prison.
Mr Hegarty said Hayden had suffered a heart attack 11 days ago and even after she was taken to hospital was held under armed guard.
He remained silent as he was arraigned, and Mr Justice Richard Johnson, presiding, said the court would enter not-guilty pleas on his behalf.
Mr Hegarty, a former member of RSF's ardcomhairle, and a native of Co Clare, with an address at Knockmore Grove, Tallaght, Co Dublin, is accused of the unlawful possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life at Longfield, Etra, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, on November 10th, 1995.
A Derry man, Mr Robert Anthony McGilloway (28), with an address at Swords Road, Co Dublin, who was also due to stand trial charged with possession of an explosive substance, was remanded on continuing bail until October 7th after the court heard he is suffering from cancer.
His counsel, Mr Brendan Grogan SC, said he had been diagnosed as suffering from cancer last Friday and needed six weeks of radiotherapy treatment.
A third man, Padraig Fee (18), of Tattyboy, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Tattyboy on November 10th, 1995. He was remanded on bail until the conclusion of Mr Hegarty's trial.
Opening the prosecution case, Mr Paul O'Higgins SC said gardai had observed a white Hiace van near Dundalk and had seen the accused man get into the passenger seat.
He was again seen in the van near Inniskeen in Co Monaghan, and later four men were seen approaching a crossroads near Dunamoyne Church.
The men ran through a field and were chased by gardai who fired a flare to illuminate the scene. Gardai later found a hairnet and surgical gloves, and Mr Hegarty's shirt was found to carry traces of ammonium nitrate.
The van was found in a nearby farmyard and contained an explosive device.
Insp Andrew McDonagh, who was then a detective sergeant attached to the Special Detective Unit, said he was searching a hedge after the four men were chased through the field when he heard a noise.
"I drew my official firearm and shouted: `Armed gardai', and suddenly a man appeared on the far side of the ditch with his hands up and shouting: `Don't shoot, don't shoot'," he said. Insp McDonagh said he then arrested Mr Hegarty.
Cmdt Dennis Ward, an Army bomb disposal officer, said he examined the white van found in Co Monaghan. It contained 500kg of ammonium nitrate and icing- sugar mix. There were five detonators connected together and three strands of detonating cord going from the driver's seat to the back of the van.
He said a copper cylinder also contained 60kg of the mix, and there were 300kg of the mix, in an outhouse.
The trial continues today.