Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy has been jailed for 18 months for failing to file tax returns for his farming activities between 1996 and 2004

The alleged former IRA leader Thomas "Slab" Murphy was sentenced at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.

In December, the 66-year-old, who lives at Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co. Louth, was found guilty of nine counts of tax evasion.

Mr Justice Paul Butler said the three-judge panel took his age and otherwise clean criminal record into account, but felt he had to serve a custodial sentence.

In 2006, the Criminal Assets Bureau raided Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy’s farm and found bags of money hidden in hay bales along with computers, ledgers and over half a million euro in un-cashed cheques.

An investigation was launched into his farming activities and he was convicted on nine counts of evading tax between 1996 and 2004.

His total bill to Revenue now stands at just under €190,000, when penalties and interest are factored in.

At his sentence hearing earlier this month, Mr. Murphy’s barrister questioned the figures produced by the State and asked the non-jury court to consider his otherwise clean criminal record the impact a custodial sentence would have on a man approaching his 67th birthday.