Irish police have uncovered an “extremely significant” explosive device inside a vehicle stopped near the border with Northern Ireland, prompting a major security response and the arrest of a man in his 40s.
Detectives requested assistance from the army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team after stopping the vehicle on Wednesday near Carrickmacross, County Monaghan just 10 kilometres from the open border.
By Friday, the EOD team had completed its examination, but Gardaí declined to release technical details “for operational reasons.” Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly confirmed the discovery was serious: “What we found was an extremely significant seizure. This was an explosive device.”
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns about dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland, nearly three decades after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely ended the Troubles a conflict that killed almost 3,600 people. Commissioner Kelly said a “small minority” of radicalised dissident republicans continue to reject the peace deal and have not put weapons or explosives out of use.
Northern Ireland has already seen two car bomb incidents this year, including one outside a Belfast police station in April, both blamed on dissident groups. Police say sporadic attacks often attempted car bombings remain a persistent threat.
The investigation into the Monaghan device is ongoing, with Gardaí working to determine whether the bomb was intended for use across the border or within the Republic.
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