Michael Kiely on trial for IRA membership at Special Criminal Court

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

Michael Kiely was on trial for membership of an unlawful organisation at the Special Criminal Court, with the proceedings reported on 6 December 2013. He pleaded not guilty to membership of an organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA.

Chief Superintendent Dave Sheehan told prosecution counsel that, on 6 January 2013, he believed Michael Kiely was a member of the organisation. The report said that Michael Kiely had read a Continuity IRA statement during a graveside oration in Limerick, but Sheehan said nothing arising from the incident or Kiely’s arrest formed part of that belief.

Under questioning by Brendan Nix SC, Sheehan accepted that he would not necessarily have told detectives to take care if he believed Kiely was in the IRA. The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Paul Butler, sitting with Judge Margaret Heneghan and Judge Flannan Brennan.