An unemployed Dundalk man was jailed for six years by the Special Criminal Court yesterday after he admitted trying to bring explosives capable of making four very large bombs across the Border on the day the votes on the Belfast Agreement referendum were counted last year.
Kieran McDonagh (37), a father of three, of Moorland Road, Lisdoo, Dundalk, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to having 938 lb of improvised explosive mixture, a booster tube and detonating cord with intent to endanger life at Carrickaneena, Co Louth, on May 23rd last year.
The court heard that members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit stopped two cars 80 yards from the south Armagh border after a car chase on an unapproved road leading to the village of Jonesborough in Co Armagh.
The cars contained 15 bags of ammonium nitrate explosive with a total weight of 938lb and a booster tube and detonating cord containing a small amount of Semtex explosive.
The drivers of the cars tried to escape across the Border but were arrested after a violent struggle. Chief Supt Michael Finnegan said Kieran McDonagh was driving his own car, and his cousin, Paddy McDonagh, was driving a stolen BMW car.
He said Paddy McDonagh was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in April, but this sentence has been appealed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Chief Supt Finnegan said the explosive mixture found in the two cars "was almost four times the amount of explosives detonated in Omagh last year." He said gardai had been patrolling the Border because it was the day the votes in the Belfast Agreement referendums were being counted.
Mr Justice Morris, presiding, said the court could find no significant differences between Kieran McDonagh's case and the earlier case of Paddy McDonagh and therefore sentenced Kieran McDonagh to six years' imprisonment to date from his arrest on May 23rd last year.