3 men arrested in Donegal guilty of IRA membership

Three men accused of IRA membership after they were arrested in Donegal earlier this year have been found guilty by the Special Criminal Court.
During their trial, the court was told the court that the prosecution case was not solely reliant on the belief evidence of a garda Chief Superintendent, but consisted of different “strands” of evidence which weighed against the accused men.
46-year-old Gerard McGarrigle of Mount Carmel Heights, Strabane, 58-year-old Desmond Donnelly of Drumall, Lisnarick, Co Fermanagh, and 61-year-old Jim Murphy of Floraville, Enniskillen, each denied membership of an illegal organisation styling itself on the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, on February 22 last.
The court heard that the three men were arrested at a garda checkpoint outside Letterkenny in the early hours of February 22.
The accused men told gardaí that they had driven to Letterkenny in the hope of securing security work at the Golden Grill nightclub. The prosecution argued that witness evidence contradicted that claim.
Meanwhile, items found in a car used by the men, including  an imitation firearm, latex gloves and cable ties.
After the court confirmed the guilty verdict this morning, the three men were remanded in custody for sentencing on December 15th.