Sligo men accused of IRA membership granted bail

Two Sligo men accused of IRA membership were granted bail by the Special Criminal Court yesterday.

The men, arrested in Co Leitrim as part of an operation targeting dissident republican activity, were charged earlier this month. Damhan McFadden (27) of Kilmacowen, Ballysadare and Julian Flohr (35) of Rusheen Ard, Caltra, both in Co Sligo, are charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on August 14th.

The two accused men were granted bail yesterday after the court earlier refused to impose a bail condition that would have required the men to notify gardaí every time they left the county.

Det Sgt Pádraig Boyce told State solicitor Michael O’Donovan that gardaí believed the requirement was necessary to monitor the men – as they lived on the “far side” of the country and had been charged with a serious terrorist offence.