Dublin: Man Charged Over Beer Keg Bomb At Lucan Hotel: UPDATED

A 55-year-old man has appeared before the Special Criminal Court this afternoon charged with the possession of explosives at Finnstown House Hotel on Sunday.

Samuel Devlin, who is originally from Co Tyrone but has lived in Dublin for a number of years, was arrested on Sunday morning by members of the Special Detective Unit.

Mr Devlin, with an address at Golf Suite, Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan, Co Dublin is charged with the unlawful possession of an explosive substance to wit Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) at the same address on May 11, 2014.

In relation to the given address, State Solicitor Mr Michael O’Donovan told the non-jury court that Mr Devlin declined to give an address or date of birth when invited to do so, but gardaí knew he had been residing at that address for some time and had seized his passport, which revealed his date of birth.

Mr Devlin is also charged with membership of an unlawful organisation within the State, namely Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA on May 11, 2014.

Detective Garda Brendan Tighe told Mr O’Donovan that he formally arrested the accused this morning on St Ronan’s Avenue in Dublin 22.

He said that he explained to Mr Devlin the reason for his arrest in ordinary language but the accused man made no reply.

Det Gda Tighe told Mr O’Donovan that at the time of the arrest he believed the accused man, who appeared before the court wearing a grey zip-up top and jeans, had committed the offence of which he is charged.

He said that when he again met Mr Devlin in the precincts of the court this morning and cautioned him, the accused man replied: “Not guilty on both charges”.

Mr O’Donovan said that his application was for a remand in custody.

Counsel for Mr Devlin made an application for a senior counsel and for legal aid, as Mr Devlin is not working and had completed a statement of means. There was no application for bail.

Mr O’Donovan said there was no objection to legal aid.

Presiding judge Ms Justice Iseult O’Malley, sitting with Judge Margaret Heneghan and Judge Ann Ryan, remanded Mr Devlin in custody for three weeks to appear before the court on June 3.
-----------------------------
UPDATE: Officers received an anonymous call about a bomb being left in the car park and quickly located the black VW Passat in the grounds of Finnstown House.

Gardai called in the Army when they spotted the beer keg with wires protruding from a timing device.

Inquiries by the gardai and the PSNI suggested the possible link between the bomb and the former senior Provisional IRA activist, who had been a member of the organisation's ruling army council. The man is well known to police on both sides of the Border, and has served a jail sentence.

But officers said their investigation was still at an early stage.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday condemned the incident as "madness".

He told an audience at Letterkenny IT that those who left the bomb in the car park did not represent the new Ireland.

"While we have problems with the administration of justice, if we didn't have the intelligence of the gardai and the capacity to break that, just think of the consequences of what could have happened socially, economically and internationally when warped minds have their way," the Taoiseach added.

Meanwhile, as a result of follow-up inquiries, gardai detained a man in his 50s and he was taken to Lucan garda station for questioning.

Officers confirmed that the man was not suspected of being linked to the bomb. However, a number of items were taken from an apartment and these were being forensically examined.

The man is being questioned about suspected membership of an illegal organisation and is being held under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. He can be detained without charge for up to three days.