Carlow man jailed for membership of IRA

A 27-year old Carlow man convicted of membership of the IRA was jailed for four years at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin last week.

Mark Doran, of Poacher's Lock, Leighlinbridge, county Carlow, was convicted of membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on October 26, 2006.

Presiding at the three-judge court, Mr Justice John Mc Menamin said that it was "no exaggeration to say that Mr Doran's involvement with paramilitary activities has wrecked his life".

Mr Doran, who had pleaded not guilty, was bar manager of a hotel in Carlow at the time of the offence. Detective Inspector Thomas Maguire told the court that Mr Doran had two previous convictions, one for assault and one for possession of a balaclava on February 14, 2006, which is currently under appeal.

Previously, the court was told that, during a search of Mr Doran's flat, gardai had found military manuals, books and DVDs, raffle tickets used during a fundraiser for the families of IRA prisoners, and two bodhrans, one with a picture of a woman with a rifle and the other with signatures from several Port Laoise prisoners. Delivering the court's judgment, Mr Justice Mc Menamin said that such material was "consistent only with significant paramilitary involvement". He also said that while the court did take into account the mitigating factors of Mr Doran's employment and the evidence of his former employer that he was "an honest employee and could be trusted", it could not disregard the nature of the offence.