Pair confess to terrorism charges over Galway mosque arson plan

Two individuals have admitted at Ireland's non-jury court to terrorism-linked charges connected with an arson plan targeting a place of worship in Galway.

Pair confess to terrorism charges over Galway mosque arson plan

Two individuals have admitted at Ireland's non-jury court to terrorism-linked charges connected with an arson plan targeting a place of worship in Galway.

Darren Gorman, 34, from Portlaoise in County Laois, and Garrett Pollock, 35, from Annalong in County Down, both entered admissions at the Special Criminal Court. They acknowledged involvement in a scheme to ignite Maryam Mosque on Monivea Road in Galway during the first week of November 2025. Prosecutors labelled the crime as motivated by hostility.

Gorman faces a single count under anti-terror legislation from 2005. Pollock confronts several additional accusations, including having bladed weapons and blunt instruments inside a vehicle at an address in Portlaoise on the same November day. He also stands accused of keeping materials that could serve as explosives — specifically pipe fittings and a large quantity of hydrogen peroxide — at two separate locations in Portlaoise and Drogheda, under conditions suggesting no legitimate use.

The hearing has been postponed until late June, when both defendants will connect remotely. Two other men implicated in the same matter — Charles Flynn from County Limerick and Karolis Peckauskas from County Louth — are also set to appear on that date.

Source: The Irish Times

Source: Irish Times