Two Dublin men charged with possessing 150kg of explosives

Two Dublin men have been charged with possession of 150kg of explosives at an out-of-hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court.

The men were also charged with IRA membership.

John Brock (43) and John Roche (52) were arrested on Friday afternoon by members of the Special Detective Unit as part of ongoing investigations into dissident republican activity.

Mr Brock, with an address at Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24, and Mr Roche, with an address at Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8, were both charged with possession of 57kg of homemade explosives, consisting of ammonium nitrate fuel mix, and 38 2.5kg rolls of Kemegel industrial explosives, at Naas Road, Dublin 12, on April 13th, 2016.

Both men were also charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on the same date.

Garda Dermot Bolger, of the Special Detective Unit, told State Solicitor Michael O'Donovan that he arrested Mr Brock under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act at 3.15pm.

He said he explained to Mr Brock the reason for his arrest in ordinary language and cautioned him.

Mr Brock made no reply, the court heard.

At the Special Criminal Court he showed the charged man a copy of the original charge sheet, to which Mr Brock again made no reply, the court heard.

Garda Deirdre Ryan, also of the Special Detective Unit, told the court she arrested Mr Roche on Friday.

She explained to Mr Roche the reason for his arrest in ordinary language and cautioned him, to which Mr Roche made no reply, the court heard.

The garda said she then detained Mr Roche in Ballyfermot Garda station before transporting him to the Special Criminal Court, where she showed the charged man a copy of the original charge sheet.

Again, Mr Roche made no reply, the court heard.

When the registrar read the charges to the men, neither of them stood up.

Presiding judge Mr Justice Paul Butler, sitting with Judge Alison Lindsay and Judge Martin Nolan, remanded both Mr Brock and Mr Roche in custody until next Thursday morning, April 21st, when bail applications are expected to be made.