Six Dundalk men have been charged with membership of an illegal organisation following a Garda raid on suspected dissident republicans last weekend.
One of the men is already facing trial on a similar charge and was on bail at the time of his arrest.
The six were arrested at 9:25 p.m. at a house in Nicholas Street South, Dundalk, last Saturday night.
In the Special Criminal Court yesterday they were charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA and were remanded in custody to appear in court again next Tuesday.
The six are: Mr Dalton McKevitt (26), of St Aubins Avenue Road, Dundalk; Mr Niall Farrell (25), of Cedarwood Park, Dundalk; Mr Tony O'Hare (40), of Marrion Park, Dundalk;
Mr Vincent McKevitt (44), of Mountain Court, Point Road, Dundalk; Mr Alan Browne (35), of a separate address in Mountain Court; and Mr Eoin Quigley (29) of Oakland Park, Dundalk.
They were charged that on January 5th, 2002, within the State, they were members of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann.
Mr Vincent McKevitt was on bail at the time of his arrest charged with membership of an illegal organisation on October 26th, 2000, and is due to go on trial on April 9th.
Mr Justice Diarmuid O'Donovan, presiding, remanded the men in custody to appear before the Special Criminal Court on Tuesday next, when applications for bail and legal aid will be heard.