A man allegedly involved in manufacturing guns and explosives in a Cork City suburb will be tried in the ordinary courts rather than the Special Criminal Court, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has decided.
Paul Sheehan (46) with an address at Elm Drive, Shamrock Lawn, Douglas, Cork was charged last November with four separate offences following his arrest at the Applegreen filling station in Mallow on November 4th, 2025.
He was back before Cork District Court on Monday where he was charged by Det Gda Anthony Daly of Mallow Garda station with a further 17 charges arising from the same investigation.
Sheehan had previously been charged with two firearms offences at the Applegreen filling station on November 4th and then one firearms offence and one charge of possessing three pipe bombs at his home at Elm Drive, Shamrock Lawn, Douglas on November 5th.
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On Monday, Daly gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to the new charges which consisted of nine firearms or ammunition offences and two drugs offences at the Applegreen station on November 4th and six firearms or ammunition offences in Douglas on November 5th.
Daly said that gardaí were objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the charges including the fact that some related to the discovery of pipe bombs at Sheehan’s home in Douglas which required a Defence Forces bomb disposal unit to make the devices safe.
He said gardaí were also objecting to bail due to the strength of the evidence against Sheehan including the fact he was caught with firearms and drugs in his car which also contained evidence of a firearm having been discharged in the vehicle.
He said there was evidence at Sheehan’s home of firearms having been manufactured or altered on the premises and the seriousness of the charges were reflected in the fact that his likely sentence upon conviction was a maximum sentence of 14 years.
Cross-examined by barrister Sarah Patton for Sheehan, Daly agreed that he had been co-operative at interview, but he said that gardaí would not be satisfied for Sheehan to be granted bail even if he agreed to reside at his home address, sign on twice daily, and keep a curfew.
Court presenter Sgt Gearóid Davis said the DPP had directed the withdrawal of one of the original firearms offences at the Applegreen filling station and Judge Mary Dorgan struck out that charge, leaving Sheehan facing a total of 20 charges.
Davis said that the DPP had directed trial by indictment on all 20 charges and although some of the charges were scheduled offences that could be tried at the Special Criminal Court, the DPP had directed that Sheehan be tried on all charges at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
He said the DPP was also consenting to Sheehan being sent forward to the Circuit Court on a signed plea of guilty, which would obviate the need for a book of evidence if the defendant chose such a course, and the judge remanded him to appear again on May 1st by video-link.
