non-jury Special Criminal Court of the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in Adare, Co. Limerick in June 1996. He was shot 3 times. In 2001, Colm Murphy was convicted of "conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause injury" in connection with the Omagh bombing. In January 2005 Murphy's conviction was quashed and a retrial ordered by the Court of Criminal Appeal, on the grounds that two gardaí had falsified interview notes, and that Murphy's previous convictions were improperly taken into account by the trial judges.<ref>Relatives disappointed with Omagh ruling — RTÉ News article, 21 January 2005</ref> In 2009 Murphy was found liable for the bombing in a civil trial; he was cleared of criminal charges at the SCC in February 2010. In 2003, Michael McKevitt was convicted of "directing terrorism" and "membership of an illegal organisation" for his role as leader of the Real IRA. In 2013 Limerick gangland crime boss John Dundon was found guilty of the murder of rugby player Shane Geoghegan, mistakenly identified as a rival; he was sentenced to life in prison by the Special Criminal Court. In 2014, Wayne Dundon and Nathan Killeen were found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of the murder of Roy Collins in Limerick and sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial of Patrick Hutch for murder and possession of firearms for the 5 February 2016 shooting of David Byrne was set for January 2018 at the Special Criminal Court; he was denied bail. On 20 February 2019, all charges against Patrick Hutch were dropped and he walked free from court.[15] To date, nobody has been convicted of David Byrne's death. See also Courts of the Republic of Ireland Garda Special Detective Unit Diplock courts — Northern Ireland's equivalent of the Special Criminal Court References Further reading Seosamh Ó Longaigh, Emergency Law in Independent Ireland, 1922–1948 () Fergal F. Davis, The History and Development of the Special Criminal Court'' () External links The Special Criminal Court : THE COURTS: : Courts Service of Ireland Courts of the Republic of Ireland Irish criminal law Emergency laws in the Republic of Ireland Courts and tribunals established in 1939 1939 establishments in Ireland