A Co Louth man has been jailed for six years for possession of a car bomb destined for Northern Ireland.
David Gallagher (38) pleaded guilty at Dublin's Special Criminal Court to having the beer keg device intercepted near the border at Kilcurry in May last year.
The charge stated that Gallagher had in his possession PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate) and RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine), an adapted 50-litre beer keg, 50kg of ammonium nitrate home-made explosive, an improvised detonation cord, improvised steel booster tube and improvised time and power unit.
Earlier this year, Gareth Mulley (45), with an address at Ashling Park, Dundalk, was sentenced to 10 years for the same offence.
A detective sergeant said yesterday that the men had been seen driving in Gallagher's white transit van to St Bridget's Shrine near Kilcurry.
Mulley drove the van away from the car park and later returned and detectives observed an object being transferred to the boot of a northern-registered Volkswagen Passat.
When the Passat was searched a "keg bomb" was found, the court heard.
The bomb was "armed, completed and ready to be moved" and "would have caused serious injury or death if somebody was standing in its vicinity," the officer said.
A previous hearing was told that the timing and power unit had a 30-minute delay function with a detonation range of 280 metres.
The detective agreed with defence lawyer Michael O'Higgins that Gallagher "has very little history in this line of business" and his role was lesser than Mulley's.
Gallagher, of Marley Court, Drogheda, also told the the three judges from the witness box that he had no intentions of getting involved again with republican military activity.
It emerged he has applied to be transferred from Portlaoise prison, where most republican prisoners are held, to Castlerea in Co Roscommon.
Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said the bomb was "a lethal weapon".
But taking into account his "credible promise" to end involvement in violent republicanism, he sentenced Gallagher to eight years, with two suspended.
