BOMB FACTORY SUSPECT IS A SON OF MAN CONVICTED OVER OMAGH
Bomb factory suspect is a son of man convicted over Omagh
By Allison Morris
THE son of a man convicted in relation to the Omagh bombing has been arrested by gardai in relation to a suspected dissident bomb-making factory.
Colm Murphy had been convicted of conspiring to cause the 1998 bombing of the market town and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
However, the Co Louth man won the right to appeal in 2005 and following a retrial his conviction was overturned earlier this year.
His 23-year-old son was arrested on Saturday in Dundalk along with a 52-year old man as part of an intelligence-led swoop.
The two were arrested at an outbuilding on the Old Newry Road in the Mount Pleasant area of the town at around 7pm on Saturday.
The coordinated raid involved officers from Garda specialist detective unit the emergency response unit and local gardai, acting on an intelligence tip off.
Gardai say that component parts of an explosive device, including two large-modified gas cylinders fixed on to a trailer, were seized in the raid.
No explosives were found at the scene.
The pair were being held at Drogheda Garda station.
Detectives last night secured an extension to allow them to continue questioning the two men.
The outbuilding, which is in a built-up industrial area, remained sealed off yesterday as experts from the Garda Technical Bureau conducted forensic examinations.
Detectives interviewing the detained men are required to seek an order from a Garda not below the rank of superintendent every 24 hours in order to extend the initial detention.
The Republic's justice minister Dermot Ahern said lives may have been saved as a result of raid.
"The harsh reality is from time to time relatively small groups of people can succeed in committing violent acts," he said.
"But these people will have to get the message one way or the other that their activities are doomed to fail.
"Last night's operation was very successful. Lives have been saved as a result."
Mr Ahern said that while the dissident threat remained strong authorities on both sides of the border were determined to "tackle them at every turn".
Mr Ahern who last month met Stormont justice minister David Ford, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott said cross-border cooperation on security matters had never been better.
"I have no doubt that their campaign, which is based on the proposition that they can kill and bomb their way to a united Ireland, will ultimately fail utterly," he said.
"Dissidents are throwbacks to a dreadful time on this island which the vast majority of people have democratically put behind them."
So far this year dissident republicans have carried out three large bomb attacks in Northern Ireland.
The Real IRA were responsible for a car bombing at Newry Courthouse in February.
Dissident organisation Oglaigh na hEireann claimed responsibility for a 150Ib bomb at MI5 Headquarters based at Palace barracks, Holywood, Co Down, in April.
In the same month, the Continuity IRA claimed responsibility for a car bomb which exploded outside a police station in Newtownhamilton, Co Down.
By Allison Morris
THE son of a man convicted in relation to the Omagh bombing has been arrested by gardai in relation to a suspected dissident bomb-making factory.
Colm Murphy had been convicted of conspiring to cause the 1998 bombing of the market town and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
However, the Co Louth man won the right to appeal in 2005 and following a retrial his conviction was overturned earlier this year.
His 23-year-old son was arrested on Saturday in Dundalk along with a 52-year old man as part of an intelligence-led swoop.
The two were arrested at an outbuilding on the Old Newry Road in the Mount Pleasant area of the town at around 7pm on Saturday.
The coordinated raid involved officers from Garda specialist detective unit the emergency response unit and local gardai, acting on an intelligence tip off.
Gardai say that component parts of an explosive device, including two large-modified gas cylinders fixed on to a trailer, were seized in the raid.
No explosives were found at the scene.
The pair were being held at Drogheda Garda station.
Detectives last night secured an extension to allow them to continue questioning the two men.
The outbuilding, which is in a built-up industrial area, remained sealed off yesterday as experts from the Garda Technical Bureau conducted forensic examinations.
Detectives interviewing the detained men are required to seek an order from a Garda not below the rank of superintendent every 24 hours in order to extend the initial detention.
The Republic's justice minister Dermot Ahern said lives may have been saved as a result of raid.
"The harsh reality is from time to time relatively small groups of people can succeed in committing violent acts," he said.
"But these people will have to get the message one way or the other that their activities are doomed to fail.
"Last night's operation was very successful. Lives have been saved as a result."
Mr Ahern said that while the dissident threat remained strong authorities on both sides of the border were determined to "tackle them at every turn".
Mr Ahern who last month met Stormont justice minister David Ford, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott said cross-border cooperation on security matters had never been better.
"I have no doubt that their campaign, which is based on the proposition that they can kill and bomb their way to a united Ireland, will ultimately fail utterly," he said.
"Dissidents are throwbacks to a dreadful time on this island which the vast majority of people have democratically put behind them."
So far this year dissident republicans have carried out three large bomb attacks in Northern Ireland.
The Real IRA were responsible for a car bombing at Newry Courthouse in February.
Dissident organisation Oglaigh na hEireann claimed responsibility for a 150Ib bomb at MI5 Headquarters based at Palace barracks, Holywood, Co Down, in April.
In the same month, the Continuity IRA claimed responsibility for a car bomb which exploded outside a police station in Newtownhamilton, Co Down.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/1029
Published Date: 06-May-10
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