Eight men plead not guilty to IRA membership charge

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Eight men’s trial for IRA membership continued in the Special Criminal Court on 30 January 2015, after all eight pleaded not guilty to the charge. The alleged offence relates to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself as the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on 29 March 2013.

During cross-examination, the court ruled that a National Surveillance Unit officer could be asked whether other people were in his car while observing an accused. The officer’s answer cannot be published by order of the court, and members of the public were excluded during the officers’ testimony.

The prosecution case relies on surveillance evidence, items found after the men’s arrests, their responses to Garda questioning and opinion evidence from Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Kirwan. Evidence from National Surveillance Unit members was continuing before the three-judge non-jury court.