SIX MEN were arrested and premises in Co Laois and Dublin were under guard last night after gardai uncovered a major IRA bomb making operation.
Gardai searching for the killers of Det Garda Jerry McCabe in Limerick two weeks ago were tipped off about an IRA bomb factory in farm buildings in the Slieve Bloom mountains.
They raided the farm near Clonaslee, Co Laois, at teatime yesterday and found an IRA bomb factory which was being used to prepared mortars.
One of the men arrested at the scene was previously involved in the conspiracy to smuggle tonnes of weapons from Libya in November 1987 on board the Eksund. He was previously convicted of explosives offences in the Republic in the 1970s.
Another was described as a veteran IRA figure long suspected of being a leading bomb maker.
Gardai said there was a brief confrontation at the farmhouse but no shots were fired. At least one firearm was recovered.
Later, Garda Special Branch detectives sealed off an engineering factory in the Ballymount Industrial Estate in west Dublin. The premises were sealed off late last night and are to be examined by technical experts today.
The seizures by Garda throw into question recent reports that the IRA was about to call a ceasefire in the wake of its bombing of Manchester city centre and the murder of Det Garda McCabe.
The men arrested in Laois were brought to Dublin Garda stations for questioning last night. They were arrested under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act which means they can be held for 48 hours without charge.
Gardai said mortar bomb components, electrical equipment timers, batteries, Semtex plastics explosive and home made explosive mixture were discovered in out buildings at the farm. No details of the quantities of material were available.
The farm was also sealed off for closer examination by technical experts today.
In a statement last night, Garda Headquarters said the find was made as a result of public assistance following the murder of Garda McCabe".
The discovery and arrests were made by detectives from the Crime and Security Branch, from Garda Headquarters along with armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit.
Since the murder of Det Garda McCabe in Adare, Co Limerick, gardai have mounted a major operation in search of his killers and have searched hundreds of properties known to be associated with the IRA.
There have been 22 arrests since the search for his killers began. Earlier this week, gardai in Co Tipperary found a bag of electrical components, understood to be associated with the mortar bomb manufacturing facility at Clonaslee.
Gardai are still searching for four IRA members in connection with Det Garda McCabe's murder. All Garda stations have been warned that the wanted men are armed and dangerous and are to be approached with caution.