Bail granted to Dublin IRA accused

The man gardaí believe is a leader of the Real IRA in the greater Dublin region has been granted bail in the Special Criminal Court today, despite strenuous Garda objections.

Detective Superintendent Diarmuid O'Sullivan of the Special Detective Unit told the court he believed "a lot of people in the city of Dublin will sleep easier" if the Dublin man remained in custody.

Joseph Clarke (aged 36) of Forestwood Close, Santry Avenue, Dublin, was charged last week with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on January 9.

Det. Supt O'Sullivan objected to bail on the grounds that he believed Clarke would threaten to kill witnesses involved in the case and that he would continue subversive terrorist activities.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding at the non-jury court, noted Garda objections, but granted the unemployed father-of-four bail as he has no previous convictions of any significance to this case.

He said that while the suspicion Clarke would interfere with witnesses, is of the "greatest concern", there is no evidence of such.

He added: "Hopefully conditions, if we are to grant bail, could deal with that situation such as it is."

He also said that although gardaí believe Clarke has held a senior position with the RIRA for a number of years, the accused has never been arrested in connection with any other similar offence.

He granted Mr Clarke bail on his own bond of €1,000 and an independent surety of €40,000.

Mr Clarke was ordered to sign on at Santry Garda Station twice daily, abide by a curfew in his family home between the hours of 11.30pm and 7.30am and hand over his passport.

Other conditions of bail included no contact with any person convicted or charged with subversive offences, and not to use any other phone other than his current model, of which gardaí have details.

Clarke was also ordered not to associate with 13 unnamed people.

The charge of membership carries a maximum sentence of eight years. Clarke was remanded in custody with consent to bail pending the approval of independent sureties.