'Shameful' absence of leaders at session

Political prisoners: Senior Sinn Féin members were sharply criticised for not attending an ardfheis session on political prisoners during which the so-called Colombia Three, Jim Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly, were welcomed home.

An Armagh delegate, Ollivher Ó Brollacháin, said it was "shameful" that no senior Sinn Féin figures were on the platform during the session, which also called for a campaign for the release of the Castlerea Five, the men jailed for the killing of Det Garda Jerry McCabe.

Mr Ó Brollacháin was equally critical that the debate was being held on Sunday afternoon, when the attendance had thinned out dramatically. The Colombia Three were present over the weekend and Niall Connolly sat in the front row during the short debate. When MP and MLA Conor Murphy proposed that the ardfheis welcome them home, there was sustained applause, but the attendance was very small compared to previous sessions.

Mr Murphy afterwards explained that the reason none of the leadership was on the platform was that "people were caught out having lunch".

A statement was read out from the Castlerea Five, who said there was a "clear breach of the Good Friday agreement" that they had not been released.

Meanwhile, there was a sustained standing ovation for Micheál Ó Seighín, one of the Rossport Five who were jailed over their opposition to the Corrib gas project.

In a witty speech he berated the Government over its policies on Ireland's natural resources and spoke of "our Dáil year in jail", referring to the length of time the five men spent in prison being equivalent to a year's sitting of the Dáil.