Eight charged after forest raid

Gardai cordoned off the forest area

Eight men have been charged in connection with an alleged dissident republican training camp in the Irish Republic.

At a special late-night sitting of the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, six of the men were charged with membership of an illegal organisation, styling itself as the IRA, and two with possession of firearms.

The men were arrested in Knockatedaun, Ballymacarberry, Co Waterford, on Sunday afternoon, and were brought to Dublin from Garda stations across the Irish Republic on Tuesday.

One man was released without charge earlier on Tuesday.

The alleged camp was discovered in a forest close to the Tipperary and Waterford border, according to the Irish police, the Garda Siochana.

The find was made as part of an ongoing operation by the Garda's National Surveillance Unit on the borders of Counties Waterford and Tipperary.

The six charged with membership of an illegal organisation were: Patrick Deery, 51, from Woodhouse, Stradbally, County Waterford; Joseph Mooney, 35, of Ozzier Court, County Waterford; John O'Halloran, 33, of Ross Avenue, Limerick; Mark McMahon, 35, of Barry Park, Wexford; Patrick J Kelly, 36, of Belvedere Grove, Wexford and Brian Galvin, 37, of Ardmore Park, Ballybeg, County Waterford.

Michael Leahy, 22, of Abbeyside, Dungarven, County Waterford and Thomas Barry, 20, of Larchville, Lisduggan, County Waterford, were both charged with possession of firearms.

All eight men were remanded in custody and will appear at the same court on Friday for bail applications.