Senior garda tells court she believed Donegal man was in IRA

A Garda chief superintendent told the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday that she believed a Co Donegal man was an IRA…

A Garda chief superintendent told the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday that she believed a Co Donegal man was an IRA member in 2010. Chief Supt Terry McGinn said she believed that Philip McGavigan was a member of the IRA on February 2nd last year.

She told the court that her belief was based on confidential information from a source and she added that she did not want to disclose that source.

The court has heard that Mr McGavigan told gardaí that he had travelled to an isolated rural house, which had been placed under surveillance by armed detectives, to poach deer by lamp light.

Mr McGavigan (50), Coneyburrow, Lifford, has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation.