A man who cut his links with the IRA after the murder of Det Garda Jerry McCabe has been given a three-year suspended jail sentence for IRA membership at the Special Criminal Court. Michael Ward (31), a father of two, of Clononeen, Borris-in-Ossory, Co Laois, pleaded guilty to being an IRA member on June 13th, 1996.
Ward told the court: "My regrets are that a member of the gardai died because of my involvement in an illegal organisation. But I had no hand, act or part in that death."
Det Insp John Kerin told the court that Ward was arrested as a result of a widespread Garda investigation into subversive organisations following the murder of Det McCabe in Adare, Co Limerick, in June 1996.
He said that gardai found nothing to connect Ward to the IRA during a search of his home on July 13th last year but after he was taken into custody he was interviewed on eight occasions.
He made a statement in which he admitted: "I am a member of the IRA for a number of years. I condemn the shooting of Det Garda McCabe in Adare. I did not have any contact with the IRA or persons connected with them since. I honestly did not know anything about the guard's murder."
Det Insp Kerin said that Ward, who works at a meat factory in Roscrea, had no previous convictions and came from a good family.
Mr Justice Morris, presiding, said the court had taken into account Ward's guilty plea and his previous good record.
The court sentenced him to three years' imprisonment suspended on condition that he gave an undertaking not to associate with subversive organisations or their personnel.