James Joseph Cassidy pleads not guilty to IRA membership

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

James Joseph Cassidy has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself as the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, within the State on 21 September 2016.

The proceedings at the non-jury Special Criminal Court were reported on 30 January 2019. Detective Sergeant Oliver Flaherty said he found a black metal pipe with drilled holes in a shed during a search of Cassidy’s premises and adjoining lands on 21 September 2016. He said it would not have been visible to anyone walking into the shed.

Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce said he found posters in a TV unit. The posters included the address of the Republican Unity website. Under cross-examination by defence counsel Padraig Dwyer SC, Boyce agreed that Republican Unity was not a proscribed organisation. He said he did not know whether the group had produced the posters.

The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding alongside Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Ann Ryan.