A 62-year-old Wexford man was yesterday found guilty of membership of the IRA by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
Convicting Thomas (Tom) Redmond with addresses at The Grove, Clonard, Co Wexford, and The Gate Post, Forth Commons, Co Wexford, the court accepted Garda evidence that Mr Redmond "had associations" with firearms. This corroborated the opinion of Chief Supt Michael Murphy that Redmond was a member of an unlawful organisation.
Redmond had pleaded not guilty to membership of the IRA, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, on October 1st, 1999.
Mr Diarmuid O'Donovan, presiding, said the court had no difficulty accepting that a metal object, thrown by the accused from his window within minutes of a Garda search, was a component part of a home-made grenade. The court also found that an improvised firing pin found in the boot of the accused's car was further evidence of his association with firearms.
Collectively, these finds, when compared with finds at arms dumps at Castlebridge and at Shelmalier Commons, both in Co Wexford, on October 4th and 5th, 1999, "converts a suspicion into a belief beyond reasonable doubt", Mr Justice O'Donovan said.
Mr Redmond was remanded for sentencing on May 9th.