COLOMBIA 3 BACK IN IRELAND; 'No Government deal over IRA'.

Byline: By DECLAN FAHY

THREE Irishmen on the run from Colombian authorities have returned to Ireland, it was revealed last night.

Jim Monaghan, 60, told how he, Niall Connolly, 38, and 41-year-old Martin McCauley arrived in Ireland in the past few days.

The IRA-linked men had been sentenced to 17 years in a Colombian jail after being convicted of helping left-wing Farc guerrillas.

But they have been in hiding since they were released from jail last December pending an appeal.

Their supporters have always maintained they could not get a fair trial in Colombia. In an exclusive interview with RTE, Monaghan said their return "was a good thing and should be celebrated".

Asked how they got back, he added: "As you can imagine, a lot of people in a lot of places helped us and I can't endanger them by revealing any details.

"I don't consider myself to be on the run. I wouldn't be giving this interview if I did."

He said there was no deal done with the Irish and British governments to let them back safely after last week's historic IRA announcement ending their armed struggle.

Monaghan insisted they were not hiding from the Garda. But he did not reveal where they had been since fleeing Colombia.

He hopes the Government will not place any obstacles in the way of the three staying in Ireland, and said: "The Irish Government would be very remiss sending anyone back to a country like Colombia." Monaghan, from Co Donegal, said that he was not prepared to return to Colombia if the men lost their appeal in their case.

He added the three men will be seeking legal advice about the possibility of extradition.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said no extradition treaty existed between Ireland and Colombia.

But he added that if they received a request for extradition, it would be considered.

An Irish Government spokesman said: "This issue was not part of the Government's discussions with Sinn Fein and we had no prior knowledge of their return to Ireland."

The conviction of the three by a Colombian court overturned an earlier judgment acquitting them.

They had earlier been convicted of travelling on false passports.

Monaghan declined to give an opinion on the Farc rebels but he did acknowledge that the US would not be happy with their reappearance in Ireland.

He denied that the three had gone to Colombia to train Farc rebels. He claimed they visited the country in good faith to learn about its peace process.

Monaghan also said he saw the end of the IRA military campaign as a positive step.

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HOME: Monaghan, left, Connolly and McCauley