A Northerner admitted to gardai that he loaded bags of explosives on to a lorry and later helped unload them at a disused fish shop in Howth, Co Dublin, the Special Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Det Sgt Fergus Treanor said Mr Eamonn Flanagan made the admissions during questioning after his arrest last year. He was giving evidence to decide on the admissibility of alleged statements made by Mr Flanagan and three other men accused of having explosives.
The court has heard that gardai found 28 bags of crushed fertiliser and five bags of the fertiliser in granule form at Molly Malone's, a disused fish shop in Howth, and another bag of fertiliser in granule form at an unoccupied house in Bettystown, Co Meath.
Mr Flanagan (43), from Co Tyrone, with an address in Skerries, Co Dublin, 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.
A fourth man, Mr Joseph Dillon (53), of Skerries, who is public relations officer for the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, has pleaded not guilty to possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or to enable another person to do so in Bettystown on January 5th last year. The four have all pleaded not guilty to having an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances on the same date.
The trial continues next Tuesday.