GARDAI believe Ed O'Brien was recruited into the IRA as a teenager in Gorey and was sent to England as part of one of its "sleeper" units over two years ago.
O'Brien was known to associate with IRA members in Wexford and was seen with a known IRA man in Gorey when he returned home last Christmas.
As a teenager he was involved in republican activities in the Co Wexford town. According to local Garda sources, his involvement was public for a short time as he sold An Phoblacht. He was known to have republican sympathies.
However, Gorey business people have been anxious to play down links between the IRA and people in the area. It is a busy town, with 30,000 tourists during the summer. "The last thing we need is people thinking this place is a hotbed of IRA activity," said one businessman yesterday.
But senior Garda sources confirmed that there are strong republican connections. One garda said an arms find, described as the biggest ever in the State, was discovered at Ballinacor, near Arklow in Co Wicklow, the town next to Gorey, in 1990. Arms from the Eksund were landed at Clogga beach. There was also a significant arms find at Kilmichael beach in recent years, just five miles from Gorey, and also at a farm near the town.
Ed O'Brien left Gorey suddenly almost two years ago. He apparently arrived in work at Staffords Bakery one morning and said he was leaving. He told some friends he was going to Germany and others that his intended destination was Scotland.
His family insists it was unaware he had become involved in IRA activities. It is acknowledged by locals and gardai in Gorey that Miley and Margo O'Brien, his parents, had no clue about what their son was involved in.
It is not known when their son's involvement with the republican cause progressed from selling An Phoblacht to attempting to plant bombs. It is possible he was encouraged by those with IRA links in Gorey or that word was sent to London that he would be "a good lad to recruit".
A senior Garda source said yesterday Ed O'Brien was "hot headed with a chip on his shoulder. He was the kind of young fella they would target. They would identify that he would make a good recruit."
He had got into trouble during his teens in Gorey, particularly in secondary school. After an incident involving himself and another boy, Ed did not return to school. The other boy's mother "talked him back in" but Ed refused to make any concessions. This and other activities, including his political leanings, were the cause of many arguments with his father, Miley. According to one friend yesterday, Miley told his son to "shape up" but Ed refused.
Relations between himself and his father deteriorated to such a point that he went to live with his maternal grandmother, Mary Sheridan. Her home was searched by gardai on Tuesday, as well as the family home. Gardai obtained two photographs from the family for identification purposes. These were sent to Scotland Yard. Gardai say nothing was found in the searches. Dental records were also sent to London.
At the time of his death Ed's family believed he was working on a building site in Glasgow. He used to call home once a month to a neighbour's house because the O'Brien family did not have a phone. The last contact was made on Sunday evening, just hours before the bomb blast.
The first indication the family got that their son was involved in the explosion came on Tuesday before lunchtime. Ed O'Brien's sister, Lorraine (19), was at home alone when gardai arrived to search the house. Her father, Miley, was collected in the town by a Garda car. Gardaf brought him home and told him to "expect the worst".
Very soon afterwards, journalists, photographers and camera crews arrived at the front of the small home in Allenwood Drive, standing just outside the door. According to friends, the family was further shattered by this intrusion. One camera was so close to the window they took photographs of their son down from the wall.
Later that night, a representative from the IRA called to the house offering "support". The family immediately rebuffed the offer and asked the person to leave. According to gardai and friends of the family, the biggest tear the O'Briens have now is that the IRA will not accept their wish that there be no paramilitary involvement in their son's funeral.
A family friend said yesterday: "They made their position clear in their statement. They want it respected but they are terrified it will not be. They don't want anyone in balaclavas in the streets of Gorey. They don't want to see Gerry Adams or anyone else there. They are not interested in hearing that their son died for Ireland. They think it is disgusting. Their sympathies lie with the victims."
The Gorey curate, Father Walter Forde, said that the church would not allow a paramilitary presence at the funeral. "There will be no flags, insignia or guards of honour.
Gardai are awaiting instructions from headquarters on the funeral, which is not expected to take place until at least next week. Gardai say they will be making every effort to ensure there is no paramilitary involvement.
The O'Brien family first heard officially of Ed's membership of the IRA while watching the six o'clock news on Wednesday night when the organisation's statement was broadcast. That night, the mother of Darren Cullen, whose statement was read at yesterday's inquest in London, arrived to tell the O'Briens that Darren had been asked to identify the body. Mrs Cullen told the family Darren had gone to the police when they made an appeal following the bomb blast on Sunday night.
Darren and Ed were childhood friends. Darren (21) moved to London three years ago and worked in security. According to his brother, Philip, he and Ed would not meet up very often in London but would coordinate their holidays in Gorey. He said Darren had not known of Ed O'Brien's involvement in the IRA bomb when he approached the police in London.