Two men plead guilty to terrorist-linked attempt to damage Galway mosque

By Gráinne Ní Aodha (Press Association)

Two men have pleaded guilty to a terrorism-related attempt to damage a Galway mosque last year.

Garrett Pollock, 35, of Kilhorne Green, Annalong, Co Down, and Darren Gorman, 34, of O’Moore Place, Portlaoise, Co Laois, entered guilty pleas before Dublin’s Special Criminal Court on Monday.

Pollock and Gorman both rose to their feet before the non-jury court and pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in terrorist or terrorist-linked activity to attempt to damage by fire Maryam Mosque in Galway between November 4 and 5 last year, in an offence “aggravated by hatred”.

Two other men charged with attempting to damage the mosque – Charles Flynn, 35, of Castlerock Avenue, Castleconnell, Co Limerick, and Karolis Peckauskas, 39, of Newfoundwell Road, Drogheda, Co Louth – have yet to enter a plea.

Peckauskas and Pollock are also charged with offences relating to the possession of weapons and an explosive substance.

Barristers representing Flynn and Peckauskas requested a hearing for mention on Monday June 29, which was granted.

Pollock and Gorman are to appear before the court via videolink on that date.

An Garda Síochána and the PSNI are co-operating on a probe into an alleged plot by a group styling itself as the Irish Defence Army (IDA) to attack the mosque.

Gardaí have told the court previously that they believed an attack on the Galway mosque was “imminent” and had seized a “manifesto document outlining an intention to attack” the first mosque in Ireland.

Garrett Pollock. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins, Dublin