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.