The head of the Garda Special Branch told the Special Criminal Court yesterday that six men and a youth were caught "red-handed" at a "Real IRA" training camp in Co Meath where gardai discovered guns and ammunition.
Det Chief Supt Basil Walsh said the seven were members of the "Real IRA", which was responsible for the Omagh atrocity, training in "modern military weapons for use in carrying out criminal attacks on the institutions of this State and in Northern Ireland."
Chief Supt Walsh said the "Real IRA" is dedicated to achieving its aims by "violent and criminal means. One of those objectives is to bring down the present peace process and return Northern Ireland to a state of conflict."
Chief Supt Walsh, head of the Special Detective Unit, opposed bail for the seven, who were charged with firearms and ammunition offences last Friday night. The court refused bail for six of the men and will rule on the other bail application tomorrow. The court was told that in follow-up searches gardai found a Russian-made RPG 18 rocket-launcher with an explosive warhead capable of piercing armour, and Chief Supt Walsh said this weapon had never been seen in this country before. Gardai also found 36 detonators and eight bombs in a hay-shed on land owned by one of the accused, Mr Seamus McGreevey.
Chief Supt Walsh used the Bail Act of 1997 as one of his grounds for opposing bail. It was the first time the Act, which was passed after a constitutional referendum, has been used. It allows the Special Criminal Court to refuse bail where there is evidence that an accused might commit further offences if granted bail.
Those before the court included three Dubliners: Mr Anthony Ryan (24), a computer technician, of Grange Abbey Drive, Donaghmede, Mr John McDonagh (34), of St Oliver's Park, Clondalkin, and a 17-year-old youth from the north side of the city who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Also charged are Mr Martin Conlon (29), of Railway Street, Armagh, Mr Seamus McGrane (45), of Little Road, Drumiskin, Co Louth, Mr Seamus McGreevey (46), a farmer, of Stamullen, Gormanston, Co Meath, and Mr Damien Lawless (30), of Nicholas Avenue, Dundalk. They are charged with having an assault rifle, a 9 mm pistol and a 9 mm sub-machinegun and ammunition at Herbertstown, Stamullen, Co Meath on October 20th.
Chief Supt Walsh said SDU members were on duty at Herbertstown on October 20th. At 8.30 p.m. they saw 10 people approaching a mound of earth 40 m from empty buildings and entering an underground bunker. Three of them left 10 minutes later, one with a rifle who stayed at the entrance while the other two walked in fields for five minutes.
The three then went back into the cellar and at 9.10 p.m. one man got out and stood at the entrance.
At 9.30 p.m. the gardai approached and called out: "Armed gardai". The man at the entrance lay down, and two men came out of the bunker and were arrested trying to escape. The seven men in the bunker were then arrested.
Chief Supt Walsh said that inside gardai found a sub-machinegun, an AK47 assault rifle, a pistol and 170 rounds of ammunition. He told Mr Micheal P. O'Higgins, for the State, there were sandbags with bullet holes and three guns laid out for instruction purposes in the bunker.
Chief Supt Walsh said he believed Mr McGrane was the "ringleader" of the group arrested and he had tried to escape when gardai raided the bunker.
Mr Justice O'Higgins, presiding, said the court in refusing bail had taken into account Chief Supt Walsh's evidence that the accused would not turn up for their trial and that he believed they would commit further offences if granted bail.