Adams canvasser owns shed where ‘Slab’ Murphy cash found

The hay shed where hundreds of thousands of euro and pounds in cash belonging to Thomas "Slab" Murphy was found is owned by a Sinn Féin supporter who is canvassing for Gerry Adams.

Matthew Kane, who lives alongside Murphy's home in Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, said he shared the use of the shed, which he owns, with Murphy and his brothers but knew nothing about bags stuffed with cash and cheques. He said he has been a supporter of Sinn Féin for 50 years.

When officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau conducted raids in Ballybinaby in March 2006 they found three black plastic bags in the hayshed.

Inside the bags they found €256,235 and £111,185 in cash and cheques, and drafts totalling €673,460, the Special Criminal Court was told last year during the successful prosecution of Murphy for failing to file tax returns. He is to be sentenced tomorrow.

Nomination

Mr Kane nominated a successful Sinn Féin candidate for Louth County Council in the 2014 local elections, Thomas Sharkey, and said he has been canvassing for the party in the general election campaign.

Mr Kane said he had not attended Murphy’s trial but understood his name had been mentioned in relation to the shed. He said he did not know anything about the bags of cash.

"They say they got it [the bags] there. Who knows?" he told The Irish Times.

Mr Kane said he had not been questioned about any bags. Asked if he accepted that the cash was found in the shed, he answered: “So they say.”

There is no suggestion he had any involvement in any wrongdoing.

Mr Adams, whose party wants Special Criminal Court t be dissolved, has described Murphy, reportedly a former senior figure in the Provisional IRA, as a “good republican”.