Four men charged in paramilitary probe

Four men charged over alleged dissident republican activity were tonight remanded in custody at Dublin’s special criminal court.

They were among 11 men – including BBC journalists working on a current affairs investigation – arrested on Sunday by Irish police probing paramilitary activity in County Donegal, close to the border with Northern Ireland.

The journalists were released from custody without charge late on Sunday night.

All four men have addresses in Derry, Northern Ireland. They are Michael Gallagher, 27, of Sackville Court; Martin Francis O’Neill, of Colmcille Court; Gary Donnelly, 37, of Kildrum Gardens and Patrick John McDaid, 38, of Marlborough Street.

They are to appear before the non-jury court again on Tuesday when bail applications are expected to be made.

The men openly laughed and joked with each other as proceedings got under way in court.

Each of the four men was charged with “membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA”.

Gallagher, O’Neill and Donnelly stood silently in court when the charge was put to them individually but McDaid said: “This is a clear case of internment by remand.”

He also denied membership of any unlawful organisation.

The court heard Gallagher was charged today at 3.28pm in Sligo.

After being cautioned he said: “I am not a member of any unlawful organisation.”

O’Neill was charged at 3.29pm in Letterkenny, County Donegal. He made no reply after caution.

Donnelly was charged 15 minutes later, also in Letterkenny and similarly he made no reply after being cautioned.

McDaid was charged at 3.52pm and after being cautioned he said: “I am not a member of an unlawful organisation.”

The four were originally arrested late on Sunday afternoon.

The other seven, including four BBC journalists probing dissident republican activity in the area, were detained earlier that day.

All 11 men were questioned at three Gardai stations in County Donegal.

The BBC said the journalists were working on a Northern Ireland current affairs investigation and had full editorial authority under the Corporation’s guidelines.

They were released without charge on Sunday night.

The other three men were released from custody last night and Gardai said they are preparing a file on their detention for the Director of Public Prosecutions.