A man in Roscrea who threatened to blow himself up in protest over his treatment during a sexual abuse claim has given himself up to Gardai this evening, bringing an incident which shut down the town for over a day to a peaceful end.
A little after 6:30 this evening Jim Hourigan left the house in Rosemary Street in which he had erected a barricade and calmly surrendered himself to Gardai.
Earlier this evening solicitor Joseph Burke, made a statement on behalf of Mr Hourigan, a separated father of three. The statement was made with the full co-operation of Gardai. According to Mr Burke, his client was the victim of serious sexual assaults while training as a Christian Brother thirty years ago. One of the perpetrators of these assaults was subsequently convicted and imprisoned.
Mr Burke said his client had become increasingly frustrated at delays facing his claims for compensation. The solicitor said his client had taken these actions to highlight his case.
Garda negotiators were in telephone contact with the former electrician, in his 50s, who claimed he had rigged the house up to an elaborate home-made bomb. Army bomb disposal experts are now inspwecting the house and residents and traders have been urged to stay away from the Rosemary Street area until given the all-clear.
Neighbours and friends of Mr Hourigan had been in contact with him during the day and said he was calm and coherent.
Sean Ryan said he has been in telephone contact twice this morning - at 9.30am and later at 10.30am - with Mr Hourigan, his friend for three years.
"He said he had the doors rigged up to the bomb. He's determined to do it," said Mr Ryan. "I said to him 'For God's sake - your mother is only dead 12 months. She wouldn't want any harm coming to you.' But he said he's making a protest.
"He said to me 'I'm not a mad man. I'm trying to put a point across, and if it's not published I'm going to do it and then they will publish it when it's too late," Mr Ryan said.
Mr Hourigan claims he was sexually abused by a Christian Brother while at school in Limerick, according to Mr Ryan. He said he has been frustrated in his attempts to seek legal redress for the alleged abuse.
Mr Ryan said: "He has been to court 11 times over this. But no one has turned up to represent him. It's been going on for 11 years."
He said Mr Hourigan has been in telephone contact with other friends in Limerick today about organising a protest outside a solicitor's office in the city.
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, said he was extremely gratified that the situation at Roscrea had been resolved satisfactorily.
The Minister said he wished to pay tribute to the Garda Síochána, the health services, other emergencey services and members of the legal profession who played a key role in ensuring the safety of all concerned.