The Special Criminal Court has reserved judgement in a defence application in the trial of five men accused of IRA membership following their arrest in Bray, Co Wicklow.

A senior Special Branch officer told the Special Criminal Court today that he went to Bray garda station after he was told by one of his officers that he believed five men arrested for theft were members of the Provisional IRA.

Gardaí recovered a large quantity of Sinn Féin posters, including election posters for Sinn Féin TD Aengus O' Snodaigh, from a car in which they also found a stun gun and CS gas canister, the trial of five men accused of IRA membership heard today.

Five Dublin men accused of membership of an illegal organisation were only under suspicion for theft until gardaí saw the tattoos of one of the accused in custody, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

Gardaí recovered a CS gas canister, a stun gun, pick-axe handles, balaclavas and a fake garda jacket after five men seen acting suspiciously by an off duty Special Branch officer were arrested in Bray, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told today.