Tattoos prompted IRA investigation, court hears

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.

The five men have pleaded not guilty to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself as the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, on October 11, 2002.