A chef arrested as part of the investigation into the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery was jailed for four years today for IRA membership.
Don Bullman (32), from Co Cork, was held by detectives probing money-laundering in the aftermath of the heist on the Belfast bank in 2004.
A Daz washing powder box containing more than €94,000 (£67,000) was found in Bullman's backpack when he was arrested in a vehicle outside Heuston Station in Dublin on February 16, 2005.
Bullman, a father of two from Fernwood Crescent, Leghanamore, Wilton, denied IRA membership or any knowledge of the cash.
Last month, three judges sitting in Dublin's non-jury Special Criminal Court, found Bullman guilty of membership of an illegal organisation calling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as Oglaigh na hEireann.
Sentencing the accused, Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, stressed that Bullman had only been charged with IRA membership.
"We must observe that much has been said about the alleged background of this case. Particular reference was made in relation to the Northern Bank and possession of a large sum of money and an investigation into money laundering," he said.
"All of this is of course of legitimate interest to An Garda Siochana and the general public at large, but we must make it clear the accused is not being charged with or accused of any offence other than membership of the IRA."
Mr Justice Butler raised concerns over evidence that a person arrested with Bullman, who had claimed ownership of the money, had not yet been charged.
Detective Superintendent Diarmuid O'Sullivan told the court that officers from the Special Detective Unit went to the mainline station after receiving a tip off that IRA funds were going to be exchanged in a Daz box.
Bullman was arrested with two other men in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) at the rear of the station.
Following his arrest, Bullman denied all knowledge of the Daz box, which contained three separately wrapped bundles of around €30,000 euro (£21,429) each.
He took the stand today where he told the court he supported the peace process, never backed a subversive organisation, and had abided by court orders forbidding him of mixing with anyone involved in organisational activities.
"Part of my bail conditions three years ago to stay away from people who had scheduled offences, friends of mine, it was hard but I stuck with the conditions," he said.
The court heard following the death of Bullman's brother in December he had taken in his four children, aged from seven-months-old to six years, to live with him and his partner of 14 years and their children aged eight and 14.
Employees of the chef - who has continued to hold down two jobs in Cork during proceedings - also gave glowing references, describing Bullman as an honest, reliable, and hard working man.
DS O'Sullivan told the court that investigators discovered Bullman had sent and received text messages in the days leading to the seizure, including one message to one of the other men which read: "Don't box it today all I have is a backsack."
A follow-up search of his home turned up an investment bond for €50,000 euro (£32,750) in Bullman's name and a sweet tin containing several hundred pounds in cash.
Gardai also recovered a bundle of documents, wrapped up in a ribbon, with the republican slogan Tiocfaidh Ar La (Our day will come) written across it.
During the trial, one of Ireland's highest-ranking police officers, Assistant Garda Commissioner Ray McAndrew, told the court he believed the chef was a member of the Irish Republican Army.
But despite evidence that gardai were investigating an IRA money laundering operation, Bullman was not charged in relation to possession of the money and there was no evidence of the money's origin or of any robbery.
In his defence, Bullman said he had been a member of Sinn Fein in the past, but was now just a supporter who attended Sinn Fein fundraisers and commemorations. He claimed he had been attending a catering exhibition at the RDS and met the two Northern men to discuss travel arrangements to an upcoming Celtic soccer match.
During his trial, the court heard Bullman's own name had been scratched off an application form for the event, with the name of murdered Det Gda Gerry McCabe, who was gunned down in June 1996 by the IRA, scribbled over it.
The chef insisted he had not written the words "Gerry McCabe, Catering Officer, the Garda Club" on a name tag which was found in his pocket, with handwriting experts backing his evidence.
Bullman said he disagreed with the shooting of the murdered detective and said the badge was a disgrace.
Mr Justice Butler said that the court was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that that evidence given by members of An Garda Siochana during the trial was the truth, that the Daz box had been in the defendant's holdall bag, and that Bullman had failed to answer material questions put to him during interviews by the gardai.
He added that a number of mitigating factors had reduced the sentence, including that he had no previous convictions, was an extremely hard working young man, and supported his own and his brother's family.
However, the judge said the court had found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt that he had been a member of an unlawful organisation, and did not accept his undertaking that he had never been, or will be, involved in activities.
The sentence was back dated five days to March 7, taking into account the time Bullman initially spent in custody following his arrest.