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'Hooded man' Kevin Hannaway facing assisting IRA charges gets bail

One of the hooden men Kevin Hannaway leaves Belfast High Court in June 2015  Picture Mal McCann.
One of the hooden men Kevin Hannaway leaves Belfast High Court in June 2015 Picture Mal McCann. One of the hooden men Kevin Hannaway leaves Belfast High Court in June 2015 Picture Mal McCann.

A BELFAST man who was part of a group who say they were tortured in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, has been granted bail by a Dublin court pending his trial for allegedly assisting the IRA.

Kevin Hannaway (67) and four co-accused were arrested on August 8 as part of an operation targeting dissident republican activity in the Dublin area.

Hannaway, of Colin Mill in Belfast, was one of a group known as the Hooded Men who were detained by the British army in 1971.

He was charged last Monday with knowingly rendering assistance to an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, on August 7 and 8.

His co-accused Edward O’Brien (41), of Hazelcroft Road, Finglas, Dublin and Eva Shannon (59) of Oakman Street, Belfast are charged with the same offence on the same date.

David Nooney (52) of Coultry Green, Ballymun, Dublin and Seán Hannaway (47) of Linden Gardens, Belfast are each charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, namely an organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army on August 8.

Detective Garda Connor Morgan told State Solicitor Michael O’Donovan that he arrested Kevin Hannaway at Tower Road, Clondalkin on Monday August 10.

When cautioned Hannaway said: “I understand”.

All accused were yesterday granted bail and told to reside at given addressess and observe daily curfews.

The five are to sign on daily at their local police stations while Kevin Hannaway is required to sign on three times per week.

Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy, presiding alongside Judge Martin Nolan and Judge William Hamill, admitted all five accused to bail on the terms set out until November 3 when a book of evidence is expected to be served.

None of the accused stood up when the three judges of the non-jury court rose to leave their seats.

A number of “hooded men” were present in the court for yesterday's bail application.

Lawyers for the group were granted leave to seek a judicial review at the High Court in Belfast in June.

They are calling the PSNI chief constable, Secretary of State and Department of Justice to account over alleged failures to order a full inquiry into their detention.

The men claim they were subjected to torture techniques after being held without trial in 1971.