Man arrested after Alan Ryan funeral admits IRA membership

Nathan Kinsella arrested after Garda investigation in to paramilitary activity

Mourners attend the funeral of Real IRA member Alan Ryan at Donaghmede, Dublin in September 2012. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times

A Dublin man arrested after a Garda investigation in to paramilitary activity at the funeral of Alan Ryan has pleaded guilty to IRA membership.

Nathan Kinsella (33) was due to stand trial at the Special Criminal Court last month. However, the non-jury court issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for his trial.

The court heard that the accused had not been heard from in months and the Circuit Criminal Court had also issued a bench warrant for his arrest in November last year after he failed to appear there.

On February 20th, Kinsella was arrested by gardaí in a gym in Cabra and brought back before the court.

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Counsel for Kinsella, Diarmaid McGuinness SC, this morning (Thursday) told the court that his client could be arraigned on a single count.

Kinsella then stood up in the dock where he pleaded guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA on September 13th, 2012.

Mr McGuinness asked for the sentencing to be put back until next week.

Presiding judge Mr Justice Paul Butler said the court would remand Kinsella in custody until next Thursday for sentence.