24 July 2026 , 10:56
675
0
An “extremely significant” bomb has been intercepted in a vehicle in transit near the Irish border in an operation targeting dissident republicans, gardaí have said.
In an intelligence-led swoop, members of the Garda’s Special Detective Unit stopped the vehicle travelling on the N2 south of Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan on Wednesday afternoon.
It is understood the device found contained suspected military grade explosives, with Garda sources describing the bomb as “highly sophisticated” and “advanced”.
A trainee lawyer in her 20s was arrested after Gardai stopping the car she was in. Gardai also found legal textbooks in the law student’s vehicle when heavily armed members of the Emergency Response Unit descended on rural Co Monaghan and stopped the car.
The vehicle’s female driver, aged in her 20s, was arrested at the scene and remained in Garda custody on Friday. Another suspect, a man aged in his 40s, has since been arrested and is being held at a Garda station in the Dublin area.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly confirmed details of the operation as he spoke to media at a Garda graduation event in Co Tipperary on Friday. “To be clear, what we found was an extremely significant seizure,” he said. “So this was an explosive device.”
The bomb was already constructed when it was seized and could have causes significant damage if detonated.
Commissioner Kelly said: “Unfortunately for operational reasons, I can’t go into the exact detail of the device.
“But what I will say certainly it was a significant explosive device. So certainly not just the seizure of components or pieces. This was an explosive device and it would have or could have potentially caused significant damage.”
Speaking to reporters in Co Tipperary, he said: “Any seizure of this nature is really concerning. We certainly know that there are a small minority of dissident republicans who did not agree with the Good Friday Agreement, they did not put weapons and explosives (out of use), they didn’t go through with the proper process in relation to decommissioning. So that is something that we continue to deal with.
“There’s a small minority of these individuals, I would describe them as radicalised republicans, and this is a threat that we’re going to continue to face for some time in An Garda Síochána.
“We work very closely with our colleagues in PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) and the intelligence services in the UK to deal with this threat. But I want to commend the members of An Garda Síochána who are involved in this operation.”
World Affairs Correspondent