Special Crim Court refuses three men bail
The Special Criminal Court today refused bail to three men charged in connection with the discovery of a massive bomb near the border last month.
The court also refused bail for a fourth man charged with membership of an illegal organisation who was arrested in connection with the same incident.
The court heard that gardai believe the four men were part of a Continuity IRA group preparing bomb.
Joseph Fee (aged 39), of Blackstaff, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, Seamus Mc Kenna (aged 48), of Marian Park, Dundalk, Co Louth and Gregory Trainor (aged 37), of Culdee Road, Armagh are each charged with the unlawful possession of an explosive substance, ammonium nitrate and sugar, on June 13, 2003 at Thornfield, Iniskeen, Co Louth.
Eamonn Mathews (aged 24), of Dublin Road, Killeen, Newry, Co Down is charged with membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on June 12.
Detective Superintendent Diarmuid O' Sullivan, who opposed bail, said that he believed the accused would not stand trial if released on bail.
The Detective Supt said that Fee, Trainor and Mc Kenna were "caught red handed" in the process of making a bomb.
He said that Trainor and Mc Kenna were arrested by gardai mixing ground down fertiliser with sugar.
Fee was arrested 100 yards from the farm where the explosives mixture was being mixed and gardai found a bucket with a mixture similar to the mix found at the farm in his van. They also found timing devices and gloves.
"I believe Fee was actively involved in supplying the material for completing the bomb. I believe he was the main organiser in relation to this operation," he said.
The Det Supt said that he believed the men would continue to be actively involved with the Continuity IRA if granted bail.
He said that gardai found a white van in a shed at a farm at Iniskeen in which they found a bag containing 500 kilos of home made explosives made from ground down fertiliser and sugar.
They also found a electric mixer close to the rear of the van and four bags of icing sugar weighing 300 kilos and a bag filled with diesel.
"I believe that at the time Mc Kenna and Trainor were in the process of making a bomb and it was in the final phase of completion," he added.
Refusing bail for all four men, Mr Justice Richard Johnson, presiding, said the court accepted Det Supt O' Sullivan's evidence and refused bail because it believed it was reasonably necessary to prevent the commission of further serious offences by the accused.
All four men were remanded in custody until July 22.
