The trial of five men accused of the murder of Limerick man, Kieran Keane, and the attempted murder of another man, ran into difficulties at the Central Criminal court in Limerick today when one juror had to be discharged, and two others excused.
The trial has now been adjourned until Friday, and there is the possiblity it may have to be transferred to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.
Anthony McCarthy, James McCarthy, David Stanners, Dessie Dundon and Christopher Costello, all with addresses in Limerick city, are pleading not quilty to Kieran Keane's murder and to the attempted murder of Eoin Tracey, a nephew of the dead man at Drombanna outside Limerick on 29 January.
They are also pleading not guilty to the false imprisonment of both men on the same date.
Following legal arguments at the opening of proceedings this morning, Mr Justice Paul Butler discharged one of the jurors because of inelegilibility.
Another juror was then empanelled but two more jurors were excused after they said they had difficulties committing to a trial that is likely to last until christmas - one person's livelihood was at stake and they were facing redundancy, another had obligatory college exams in November.
This presented obvious difficulties about how the trial could proceed. Mr Justice Buckley adjourned the matter until Friday and asked the remaining 10 jurors to return on that morning.
