Gerard McKenna with an address in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, Co. Louth was charged in February with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of a person allegedly involved in killing local teenager Keane Mulready Woods in January.
The offence is contrary to section 7 (2) and (4) of the Criminal Law Act.
He had been remanded in custody and appeared again before Judge Alan Mitchell at Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday.
He was served with a book of evidence by Detective Sergeant Peter Cooney.
Judge Mitchell noted the Director of Public Prosecutions directed trial on indictment. He acceded to a request to grant a return for trial order.
He told the accused he was being sent forward to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.
Judge Mitchell warned him he must notify the prosecution within 14 days if he intended to use an alibi in his defence. He informed him his solicitor would discuss it with him in due course.
Mr McKenna, dressed in a grey tracksuit and wearing a face mask, did not address the court. He nodded as the judge made the trial order and explained the meaning of an alibi.
A date for his next appearance has not yet been set, however, it will take place during the new court term in October.
Mr McKenna has not yet indicated how he will plead.
Legal aid was granted and includes representation of senior counsel due to the seriousness of the case. An order was also made for gardai to provide the defence with copies of the videos of interviews conducted in the investigation.
Last Tuesday, Judge Mitchell had been told Mr McKenna wished to apply for bail. There would be Garda objections based on the seriousness of the case, he was also told.
Defence counsel Brian Mulvany told Judge Mitchell that his client was not proceeding with the bail application yesterday/today (tue).
He submitted that under the Criminal Procedures Act 1967, the district court did not have jurisdiction to hear one in a case involving this type of offence.
However, he added that an application before the High Court for bail was already "in train”.
Keane Mulready Woods, 17, was last seen alive by his family on the evening of Sunday, January 12th last. He was killed and his body was later dismembered.
Remains found in Priorswood, Coolock in Dublin and in a burned out vehicle at Trinity Terrace, Dublin 3, were those of the missing boy.
At Mr McKenna’s first hearing in February, Detective Sergeant Cooney said the accused man’s reply after caution was: “No thanks, no”.
