Image caption The eight men appeared at Dublin's Special Criminal Court

Eight men appeared before two special sittings of the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Friday charged with offences linked to a police operation against dissident republicans in the city.

Seven arrested at a house in Tallaght on Wednesday were charged with membership of an unlawful organisation and have been remanded in custody.

At a separate sitting of the court on Friday a 45-year-old Dublin man was charged with IRA membership and possession of ammunition.

The seven men were all charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA.

The seven charged were Peter Burns, 39, of Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght; Kevin Braney, 39, also of Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght; Michael Barr, 33, of Carlton Court, Poppintree, Ballymun; Brian Nick McBennett, 54, of Ard Collum Avenue, Artane; John Brock, 41, of Glenview Park, Tallaght; Declan Phelan, 31, of Lanndale Lawns, Tallaght and Desmond Christie, 49, of Liam Mellows Road, Finglas.

The non-jury court heard details of arrest, charge and caution from the seven different detectives who had arrested the accused men. The court heard that all but two of the men made no reply to the charge.

The judge remanded all seven in custody to appear before the court again on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Stephen Hendrick, 45, of Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA and was also charged with possession of 59 rounds of ammunition of various calibres.

Mr Hendrick was remanded in custody to appear again on 10 July.