A man has been convicted at the Special Criminal Court of directing a terrorist organisation following a Garda surveillance operation at a Dublin public house. Seamus McGrane, aged 63, from Dromisikin in County Louth, was monitored by the Garda National Surveillance Unit at the Coachman's Inn on the Airport Road. Recorded conversations from April 2015 captured discussions between McGrane and another man regarding an operation involving explosives timed to coincide with a State visit. The court heard references to locations near Glasnevin Cemetery and discussion of previous attacks. Gardai also recovered bomb-making components from a field adjacent to McGrane's residence. McGrane is only the second person convicted under this legislation in the State. He was previously imprisoned for four years in 2001 following a guilty plea to firearms training offences. The conviction follows his involvement in founding the Real IRA in 1997.
Source links
Original report plus public source leads and related archive reports used for review context.
Public source leads
- Second ever conviction for directing terrorism as Real IRA leader Seamus McGrane is found guilty - Irish Examiner Irish Examiner · Tue, 31 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMT
- How Garda bugging of Dublin pub led to downfall of ex-IRA man - The Irish Times The Irish Times · Thu, 07 Dec 2017 08:00:00 GMT
Related court reports
-
Dissident leader to be sentenced over Royal visit explosion plot
Courts News Ireland · 2017-11-14
Seamus McGrane, aged 63, of Little Road, Dromiskin, County Louth, has been remanded in custody pending sentencing at the Special Criminal Court on 7 December. McGrane...
-
Dissident republican leader jailed for 11.5 years over Prince Charles bomb plot
Courts News Ireland · 2017-12-08
A dissident republican leader has been jailed for eleven and a half years by the Special Criminal Court following his conviction of directing the activities of an...
-
Man accused of directing the IRA recorded discussing explosives operation prior to Royal visit, court hears
Courts News Ireland · 2017-10-06
A man from County Louth has pleaded not guilty to directing the activities of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army between April and May...
-
Garda bug sought under 'culture of secrecy', Hutch lawyers tell Regency trial
Courts News Ireland · 2022-11-25
At the Special Criminal Court, defence counsel for Gerard Hutch have argued that a garda audio recording of conversations between Hutch and former Sinn Féin councillor...
-
Nothing in Irish surveillance law to say it applies outside of State, Hutch defence team says
Courts News Ireland · 2022-11-29
At the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on 29 November, senior counsel for Gerard Hutch argued that Irish surveillance legislation contains no provision permitting the...