Three convicted of IRA membership

Three men from the North arrested after gardaí received a tip-off that dissident republicans were about to carry out a "tiger kidnapping" in Co Donegal earlier this year were convicted of IRA membership at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today.

Gerard McGarrigle (aged 46) of Mount Carmel Heights, Strabane, Co Tyrone, Desmond Donnelly (aged 58) of Drumall, Lisnarick, Co Fermanagh, and Jim Murphy (aged 61) of Floraville, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, had each denied membership of an illegal organisation styling itself on the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on February 22 last.

The court heard that the three men were arrested at a garda checkpoint outside Letterkenny in the early hours of February 22 last.

The accused men told gardaí that they had driven to Letterkenny in the hope of getting security work at the Golden Grill nightclub.

Chief Superintendent Michael O' Sullivan gave evidence that he believed the three men were IRA members on February 22.

The court heard that a number of items were found in a car used by the men when it was stopped at the garda checkpoint at Oldtown. These included an imitation firearm, latex gloves, nine cable ties and black bin liners.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said that the court was satisfied that gardaí did receive intelligence relating to an alleged plot by dissident republicans that involved either a "tiger kidnapping or robbery" and that the intelligence included the names of the three accused.

"While parts of the intelligence may have been faulty or incomplete, it is clear that there was a basis for it, in that the accused were found together at or about 12.30am in a car outside Letterkenny far from where they lived,'' he added.

The judge said that it had not been established that the items found in the car were connected with any plot. But he said the items rendered "material" many of the questions which had not been answered by the three accused during garda interviews.

The judge said that the court was satisfied that the failure of the accused to answer "material" questions amounted to corroboration of the belief evidence of Chief Superintendent O' Sullivan.

The court remanded the three men in custody for sentencing on December 15.