Book of evidence served on eight accused of IRA membership

Eight Dublin men charged with membership of the IRA have been served with a book of evidence at the Special Criminal Court.

The men were arrested on Good Friday after a search of a commercial premises in Clondalkin as part of an ongoing garda investigation in to the activities of dissident republicans.

The eight are: Kevin Braney (aged 38), of Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght , Des Christie (aged 49), of Liam Mellows Road, Finglas, Eamon McNamee (aged 32), of Larkfield Square, Lucan, Hubert Duffy (aged 45), of George’s Place in Dublin 1, William Jackson (aged 53), of Dooncourt, Poppintree, Declan Phelan (aged 31), of Lanndale Lawns, Tallaght, John Brock (aged 40), of Glenview Park, Tallaght, and Darren Murphy (aged 42), of Rory O’Connor House in Dublin 1.

The eight were all brought before an Easter Sunday sitting of the non-jury Special Criminal Court where they were charged with membership of an unlawful organisation within the State namely Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA on March 29, 2013.

Four of the seven men - Kevin Braney, Declan Phelan, John Brock and Desmond Christie - were also among eight men arrested on July 4 after a search of a house in Tallaght as part of an operation led by members of the garda Special Detective Unit and Crime and Security section.

They were subsequently charged before the Special Criminal Court with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on July 3.

At the last hearing of the case the four men, who were granted bail on the earlier charge of IRA membership in April, revoked their bail. The State indicated it would bring an application for estreatment of the monies put forward to secure the bail.

Lawyers for the accused men today said that as the facts of the State’s application for forfeiture of the bail monies gave rise to the facts of the July charge of IRA membership, the estreatment application should abide by the outcome of any trial on that charge.

Presiding judge Ms Justice Paul Butler, sitting with Judge John O’Hagan and Judge William Hamill, said the court would list the matter for mention on October 18.