A 25-year-old law student has been granted conditional bail after appearing in court charged with possession of explosives following the interception of a suspected bomb near the Irish border.
Isobella Perrie Sullivan appeared before a special sitting of Trim District Court after Gardaí stopped a vehicle on the N2 near Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.
The court heard that a bag found in the rear of the car contained suspected Semtex, a detonator and an improvised timing or power unit.
Gardaí objected to bail because of the seriousness of the charge.
Judge Raymond Finnegan granted bail subject to strict conditions, including a €15,000 independent surety, the surrender of her passport, a nightly curfew and daily attendance at Naas Garda Station.
She remains in custody pending a further bail hearing at Monaghan District Court on Monday.
The decision has been questioned by DUP leader Gavin Robinson, who said Ireland’s justice system had “serious questions to answer” and argued that terrorism cases must reflect the potential threat to innocent lives.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly previously described the interception as an “extremely significant” seizure during an intelligence-led investigation into suspected dissident republican activity.
Her solicitor told the court that she had been asked to transport a bag north and did not know what it contained.
The allegations remain before the courts, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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