Terror suspects remanded in custody

Six men accused of being members of a republican paramilitary group were today remanded in custody by Dublin’s Special Criminal Court.

The men, who were held after a raid on a house in Dundalk, Co Louth, on Saturday night, were formally charged before the court in Dublin.

Sources have already said the men are suspected of being members of the dissident republican splinter group the Real IRA.

The men included Vincent McKevitt, the 44-year-old brother of Michael McKevitt, currently awaiting trial in Portlaoise prison accused of directing terrorism.

Six Garda officers gave evidence to the court describing how they arrested the men at a house in Nicholas Street, in the border town shortly before 10pm on Saturday.

All were arrested on suspicion of possessing firearms and were later detained under the Criminal Law Act on suspicion of membership of an unlawful organisation contrary to the Offences Against The State Act.

The men were all from Dundalk.

They were Dalton McKevitt, 26, from St Aubins Avenue Road; Niall Farrell, 25, from Cedarwood Park; Tony O’Hare, 40, from Marian Park; Vincent McKevitt, 44, from Mountain Court; Alan Browne, 34, from Mountain Court; and Eoin Quigley, 29, from Oakland Park.

Each man stood as the court registrar told them they were charged with being a member of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA.

No application was made for bail and all were remanded in custody to appear at the same court next Tuesday.

The court heard that the only man to make a response when arrested by officers was Vincent McKevitt, who answered: ‘‘I have nothing to say.’’