A Galway man has been jailed for five years at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin for possessing explosives and a gun.
Thomas Hughes (40), An Tuairin, Dublin Road, Tuam, pleaded guilty to possession of a 6mm revolver without a firearms certificate at his home on January 26th last.
The father-of-three also admitted possession of an explosive substance, ammonium nitrate, at One Hundred Acres, Monivea, Athenry, on the same date.
Det Insp Gerard Roche said Hughes was arrested after a Garda inquiry into the manufacture and movement of explosives by republican dissidents in Galway.
Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said this was a tragic case, as the accused was an otherwise “blameless” hard-working man who had pleaded guilty to a serious offence. Although Hughes was involved in moving 125kg of explosive substances, evidence that his offending was “entirely out of character” had been noted.