A Co Monaghan man who is being sued by relatives of the victims of the Omagh bombing in August 1998 was jailed for 3½ years at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday for membership of an illegal organisation, namely the "Real IRA".
Séamus Daly (33), of Culloville, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, had pleaded guilty to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on November 20th, 2000.
Daly is one of the five men being sued in civil actions by relatives of the 29 people who were killed in Omagh in August 1998.
At the sentencing hearing in the Special Criminal Court yesterday, Det Supt Tadhg Foley told Mr George Birmingham SC, prosecuting, that Daly was a member of the organisation which had carried out the Omagh bombing.
Daly had been charged initially with membership between two dates, but this was later amended to one specific date, that of November 20th 2000, to which he pleaded guilty when he appeared before the court last Thursdsay.
Questioned by Mr Birmingham yesterday, Det Supt Foley agreed that the "Real IRA", which came into existence in 1997, had been responsible for firearms and explosive offences in this State, Northern Ireland and Britain.
Counsel put it to the witness that on one occasion this had resulted in a tragic loss of life.
"Yes, 29 people killed in Omagh," Det Supt Foley replied.
The court heard that Daly, a single man, was one of a family of nine. It also heard that he lived with his parents in Culloville, Castleblayney.
Daly was currently unemployed, but had previously worked in the building industry.
He had no previous convictions.
Defence counsel Mr Hugh Hartnett SC asked the court to take into account the fact that the accused man had pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity after the charge had been preferred against him.
Counsel emphasised Daly's previous clean record.
Jailing Daly for 3½ years, to run from the date of sentence, Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, noted that the maximum term for the offence of membership was seven years.
However, he said that in this case, as in many others, the court had "no information of the level of involvement of the accused".
Taking into account Daly's guilty plea and the fact that he had no previous convictions, Mr Justice Butler said that there was no question but that the maximum tariff "would not arise".
Daly is one of five men who have been served with a civil writ by the families of the victims of the Omagh bombing. Michael McKevitt, from Blackrock, Dundalk, who is serving 20 years for directing the "Real IRA", is also being sued.
Colm Murphy, who was jailed for 14 years for conspiring to carry out an explosion within the State, and Mr Liam Campbell, from Upper Faughart, Dundalk, who is currently awaiting trial on two charges of membership, have also been served with civil writs.
Mr Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the Omagh bombing, said afterwards that he was incredibly disappointed with yesterday's sentencing.