Garda says fertiliser delivery was admitted

A haulage contractor told gardai that he was asked to bring bags of ground-down fertiliser for use in explosives to a fish store…

A haulage contractor told gardai that he was asked to bring bags of ground-down fertiliser for use in explosives to a fish store in Howth, the Special Criminal Court heard yesterday.

The court was told that Mr Seamus McLoughlin, in a statement to gardai, admitted loading bags of the fertiliser on to his truck from an unoccupied house at Bettystown and bringing it to Molly Malone's fish shop in Howth.

Det Garda Martin Connolly said that Mr McLoughlin's statement was read to Mr Joe Dillon, the public relations officer of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, and Mr Dillon said he had no comment to make.

He was giving evidence on the admissibility of statements alleged to have been made by Mr Dillon and three other men. The court has been told that gardai found 28 bags of crushed fertiliser and five bags of fertiliser granules at Molly Malone's and another bag of fertiliser in granule form at an unoccupied house in Bettystown, Co Meath.

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Mr Eamonn Flanagan (42), of The Square, Skerries, Mr Seamus McLoughlin (67), of Balkill Park, Howth, and Mr Michael Blount (48), of Bath Road, Balbriggan, have pleaded not guilty to possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or to enable another person to do so at West Pier, Howth, Co Dublin on January 5th last year.

Mr Joseph Dillon (53), who is public relations officer for the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, of Greenlawns, Skerries, has pleaded not guilty to possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or to enable another person to do so at Windswept, Golf Links Road, Bettystown, Co Meath, on January 5th last year.

The four men have all pleaded not guilty to having an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances on the same date.

The trial continues next Tuesday.