Man who read statement threatening Irish in British Army acquitted of IRA membership

A man has been acquitted of IRA membership by the Special Criminal Court following a trial centred on a graveside oration he delivered in Limerick in January 2013. The accused read a statement attributed to Continuity IRA prisoners that contained threats against Irish members of the British Army. The presiding judge acknowledged the court was satisfied the accused had read the inflammatory statement, which included language describing British Army personnel as legitimate targets. However, the judge found insufficient evidence to establish IRA membership on the date in question. The court noted reliance on belief evidence based on privileged information that the accused could not challenge, and determined that the accused's inconsistent responses during garda interviews did not constitute independent corroboration. The judge concluded that while much of the accused's testimony regarding his knowledge of the statement's contents was untrue, reasonable doubt remained as to his organisational membership, leading to acquittal.