Jonathan Hawthorn, James Geraghty and Donal O Ceallaigh held on remand over IRA charges

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

Jonathan Hawthorn, James Geraghty and Donal O Ceallaigh were remanded in custody at a special sitting of the Special Criminal Court on IRA membership charges. The proceedings were reported on 16 September 2016.

Each man faced an allegation of membership of an unlawful organisation on Wednesday. The organisation was named as the Irish Republican Army, also known as Oglaigh na hEireann or the IRA.

Detective Sergeant Alan McDevitt told the court he had arrested Geraghty, aged 60, on Kevin Street in Dublin the previous evening. According to McDevitt, Geraghty denied belonging to any group after being told of the DPP’s direction to charge him with IRA membership.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt presided over the court’s three-judge panel. Geraghty received free legal aid following an application by Sarah Jane O’Callaghan BL. Hawthorn’s barrister, Kathleen Leader BL, and Dean Kelly BL, representing O Ceallaigh, said they intended to seek legal aid later.

The next appearance for all three was due on Tuesday. Their barristers said they hoped to seek bail then.