A Limerick man who admitted being a member of the IRA was given a three-year suspended sentence at the Special Criminal Court, Dublin yesterday. John Costello (34), a married father of four, of O'Dwyer Villas, Thomondgate, Limerick, pleaded guilty to being an IRA member on July 23rd, 1996.
Mr Justice Morris, presiding, said the court accepted Costello's undertaking not to associate with any illegal organisations and also accepted that it would be preferable to suspend the sentence rather than have the defendant associating with sentenced prisoners in Portlaoise prison.
Det Insp John Kerin said Costello was arrested after gardai received information during their investigation into the murder of Det Garda Jerry McCabe in Adare, Co Limerick, in June, 1996. There was no connection between the defendant and the Garda McCabe murder. During interviews with gardai Costello had admitted being a "foot-soldier" in the republican movement, he said.
