A former Sinn Fein councillor in Co Offaly who cut his links with the organisation has been given a five-year suspended jail sentence for IRA membership.
John Carroll (47), a farmer and father of two, of The Ring, Crinkle, Birr, Co Offaly, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court yesterday to being a member of the IRA on June 6th, 1996. He gave an undertaking not to associate with any subversive organisations or individuals connected with subversive organisations.
The court was told that Carroll, a member of Birr Urban District Council, had resigned from Sinn Fein and is now an independent councillor.
Ms Una Ni Raifeartaigh, prosecuting, said Carroll was arrested as a result of investigations into the murder of Det Garda Jerry McCabe in Adare in June, 1996, but she said there was no suggestion that there was any link between the defendant and the events in Adare.
Det Insp John Kerin said Carroll was interviewed on 11 occasions after his arrest in July last year and during the ninth interview he made a seven-line statement in which he said he had been a member of the IRA but had severed his connections since June 7th, 1996.
Insp Kerin said Carroll received an eight-year sentence in the Special Criminal Court in 1976 for armed robbery and possession of firearms and a concurrent 12 months for IRA membership. Gardai had no evidence that he had been involved with subversives since July last year.
Mr Justice Morris suspended the five-year sentence on Carroll's bond to be of good behaviour for five years and his undertaking not to associate with subversives.