Former IRA leader freed on bail

A former leading member of the Provisional IRA and Crumlin Road prison escaper was freed on bail on a terrorism charge by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today.

Anthony Sloan (aged 56), a native of Belfast with an address at Ard na Mara, Dundalk, Co Louth was charged last week with membership of an illegal styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA on October 31.

Today the court approved an independent surety of €30,000 and Sloan's own cash lodgement of €10,000 and released him on bail.

He was ordered to sign on daily at Dundalk garda station, to surrender his passport and not to associate with anyone convicted of or charged with a scheduled offence. The court remanded him on bail until December 16.

Sloan was one of eight IRA prisoners who escaped from Crumlin Road prison in Belfast in 1981. The day after the escape Sloan was convicted of possession of an M60 machine gun and jailed for 20 years in his absence.

He fled to the Republic where he was later recaptured by gardaí and jailed for eight years.

Sloan successfully challenged attempts to extradite him to the North and settled in the Republic.

In December 2000 he and the seven other members of the so called “M60 gang” were given a royal pardon.

The eight men were arrested after a shoot out in Belfast in 1980 with British troops, during which SAS Captain Herbert Westmacott was killed.