Courts / Dublin / Report

Man twice arrested for IRA membership in the space of four months refused bail

Summary

In October 2014, Declan Phelan, a 32‑year‑old from Tallaght, was denied bail by the Special Criminal Court after being charged twice with membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The first charge dated March 29, 2013, followed a search of a commercial premises in Clondalkin linked to a Garda investigation into dissident republicans. Phelan had previously been granted bail on conditions that he not associate with co‑accused or anyone convicted of a scheduled offence, keep the peace, and be of good behaviour. He was arrested again on July 3, 2013, at an alleged IRA meeting in Tallaght, where seven men were detained for membership of an unlawful organisation. His counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, noted he had no prior convictions and had been on remand for fifteen months, offered a job pending release. Judge Garrett Sheehan, joined by Judges Cormac Dunne and Margaret Heneghan, refused bail, citing the seriousness of breaching the first condition.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man twice arrested for IRA membership in the space of four months refused bail. Charges or matters: membership of an unlawful organisation. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• March 29, 2013 Incident
• July 3 2013 Incident
• January 2015 Incident
• 2014-10-09 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Related court reports

• Pair jailed for preying on innocent shooting victim in 'vicious extortion racket'
• 'Fun loving' drug dealer jailed over possession of €90k in crime cash
• 'I'm doing my job as a mum': court hears exchange between mother and accused son
• Separated husband spared conviction despite alleged threat to throw former wife out window
• Serial criminal set car ablaze after release from Melanie McCarthy-McNamara manslaughter sentence
• Drug dealer further sentenced for 'crudely' laundering own crime cash

Read the original CNI report