IRA prisoners transferred

The first three long-term IRA prisoners to be transferred from Britain to jails in the Irish Republic were handed over yesterday following a recent agreement between London and Dublin over sentence tariffs.

The were Vincent Wood, serving 17 years for possession of explosives; Patrick Hayes, jailed for 30 years for planting a bomb outside Harrods; and Denis Kinsella, serving a 25-year term for planting explosives at a gasworks in Warrington. The men were brought by helicopters to Portlaoise Prison. Seven other prisoners are understood to have transfer applications pending.

The move brings prisoners closer to families and was pressed for by the Irish side as a confidence building measure that could help reinforce the IRA ceasefire.