Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch has pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin.

The trial, being dubbed as Ireland’s gangland trial of the century, got underway at the Special Criminal Court this morning.

The judges were told they would hear evidence of a meeting between Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall, during which he’s alleged to have said he was part of the team that shot him.

The prosecuting barrister also said they would hear evidence that he was “worked up and edgy” at this meeting, which took place in a park in Dublin following the shooting.

A heavy armed garda presence at the Criminal Courts of Justice, 18-10-2022. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

Two other men are also on trial accused of providing vehicle assistance to the team that carried out the murder.

Yesterday former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall was jailed for four years for facilitating the murder by booking a room at the Regency Hotel.

A heavy armed garda presence at the Criminal Courts of Justice, 18-10-2022. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

Dowdall was originally due to stand trial for murder; however, he pleaded guilty after the DPP agreed to accept the lesser charge.

At his sentence hearing earlier this month, Dowdall’s barrister revealed that he is in protective custody having given a statement to Gardaí – apparently implicating others in what happened at the Regency Hotel.

He was given a substantial reduction in his headline sentence on the back of his decision to give evidence at the upcoming murder trial.