Courts / Louth / Report

60-year-old man charged with directing IRA activites

Summary

Three men appeared before the Special Criminal Court at trial, facing alleged IRA-related charges arising from an ongoing investigation into dissident republican activities. Séamus McGrane, 60, of Co Louth, was charged with directing the activities of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA and membership of that organisation between December 2009 and May 2015. He made no reply to the charges and was remanded in custody until May 20. Donal O Coisdealbha, 23, of Dublin 15, was charged with IRA membership and possession of a time and power unit, a component of an improvised explosive device, found in a storage locker at NUI Maynooth. He also made no reply and was remanded in custody until May 20, with his solicitor indicating a bail application would be made. Dylan Cahill, 22, of Co Tipperary, was charged with IRA membership, possession of a .380 calibre Colt semi-automatic pistol, four rounds of ammunition, and two pipe bombs in Co Leitrim. He made no reply to the charges. A proposed bail application for the following Tuesday was opposed by the DPP due to Garda operational constraints. The court remanded Mr Cahill in custody until June 9, granting him liberty to apply for bail before that date. All three accused were identified in the dock by detective sergeants, and no pleas or findings were recorded at this procedural stage.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 60-year-old man charged with directing IRA activites. Charges or matters: directing the activities of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army; membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army; possession of .380 calibre Colt semi-automatic pistol; possession of four rounds of .380 calibre ammunition; possession of two Improvised Explosive Devices commonly known as pipe bombs; possession of a component part of an improvised explosive device namely a time and power unit also known as a TPU. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• December 23 2009 Incident
• May 13 2015 Incident
• Friday May 15 2015 Incident
• Wednesday May 20 Adjournment
• June 9 Adjournment
• 2015-05-16 Publication

Why: When an application for bail on Tuesday next was proposed on Mr Cahill's behalf, solicitor Liam Mulholland, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Tuesday next was a bad day for the gardaí because of the visit of Prince Charles to the State. Prosecution account reported by CNI

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Related court reports

• Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
• Legal first sees miscarriage of justice certificate for IRA membership conviction quashed
• Garda murderer Brady's 'contempt' for trial with secret recording lands him with increased sentence
• Lorry driver who imported €1m in cannabis jailed for five years
• Lithuanian man admits engaging in terrorist plot to attack mosque
• Aaron Connolly gets date for retrial on Cameron Reilly murder

Read the original CNI report