Galway mosque bomb plot trio have brought ‘shame and embarrassment on all of us’, judge says

Ireland is a diverse country and three men who formed part of a terrorist group that plotted to attack a Galway mosque using pipe bombs have brought “shame and embarrassment on all of us,” a judge has said.

Judge Caroline Biggs, presiding at the three-judge Special Criminal Court, sentenced Garret Pollock, the man deemed the most culpable of the three, to 10½ years with the final year suspended.

She sentenced his co-defendants, Karolis Peckauskas and Darren Gorman, to eight years each, also with the final year suspended.

Pollock (36), Gorman (34) and Peckauskas (39) previously apologised for the planned attack, which was foiled when gardaí carrying out random drug searches found explosive materials, weapons and evidence relating to a terrorist organisation calling itself the Irish Defence Army in a car in which Pollock and Peckauskas were travelling.

Pollock, of Kilhorne Greene, Annalong, Co Down, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to engage in a terrorist activity or a terrorist-linked activity contrary to section 6(1)(a)(ii) and 7(1) of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005.

The details of the offence are that between November 4 and 5 2025, the defendants attempted to engage in terrorist activity or terrorist-linked activity by attempting to set fire to the Maryam Mosque at Old Cottages, Monivea Road, Galway, an offence which was aggravated by hatred.

Gorman, of O’Moore Place, Portlaoise Co Laois and Peckauskas, with an address at Newfoundwell Road, Drogheda, Co Louth both pleaded guilty to the same offence.

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