A Dublin electrician was jailed for seven years by the Special Criminal Court yesterday for controlling one of the largest caches of Semtex ever found in the State.
A Garda inspector told the court he believed the explosives, together with firearms and ammunition, belonged to the Provisional IRA.
Padraig Steenson, a 36-yearold single man, of Leinster Avenue, North Strand, Dublin, was convicted in April of the unlawful control of 221/2 kg of Semtex, 14 incendiary devices, eight time and power units and 13 detonators at Glasmore Park, Swords, Co Dublin, on November 7th, 1997.
He was also convicted of having unlawful control of an improvised pistol, an improvised machine-pistol, an imitation revolver and 208 rounds of ammunition. Sentencing Steenson to seven years, Mr Justice Barr said he had noted he had previous convictions and had co-operated with the gardai.
Steenson gave a clenched fist salute and shouted "Tiocfaidh Ar La" as he was led from the dock.
Insp Tony Fennessy, of the Special Detective Unit, told the court gardai found the Semtex in Steenson's uncle's house and that Steenson had asked his uncle to store the material. "It is one of the largest seizures of Semtex in the State," he added.
Cross-examined by Steenson's counsel, Mr Diarmaid McGuinness SC, Insp Fennessy said he believed the explosives and other material were the property of the Provisional IRA. He agreed the IRA was on ceasefire at the time gardai made the discovery.
During the five-day trial in April the court heard that detectives who raided the home in Swords of Mr John Galvin, Steenson's uncle, found three bags containing Semtex and other explosive material in a shed.
They also found a bag under the stairs which contained Semtex and two home-made guns, ammunition and other items.
Mr Galvin, who was given a 10-year suspended sentence in 1998 for possession of the explosives, gave evidence that he had been asked by his nephew to store the bags in his shed.
Mr Galvin also told the court an associate of his nephew had called to the house with a holdall bag which was put under the stairs.