Ireland Lithuanian man denied bail over explosive substance charge in Portlaoise
Karolis Peckauskas, 38, of Drogheda, faces a charge of possessing an explosive substance at O'Moore Place, Portlaoise, after items were allegedly found in a car he was driving. Judge Andrew Cody refused him bail and remanded him in custody after gardaí told the court that an attack on Galway Mosque was imminent.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested6 Nov
3 reports - Chargednot reported
- In court7 Nov
3 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports66 statements extracted from the articles
- whatTwo men appeared before Portlaoise District Court charged with possession of explosives. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí are investigating an alleged plot by an extreme right-wing group to attack Galway Mosque. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí are questioning another suspect over an alleged far right plot to attack a mosque. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatTwo men have already been charged over the alleged plot. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA third man has been arrested as part of a cross-Border terrorism investigation. (irishtimes.com)
- whatIt is alleged he had four threaded pipe end caps and six litres of hydrogen peroxide in suspicious circumstances. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe two suspects were arrested in Co Laois. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereA car seized in Drogheda was found to contain a suspect device. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereA house was searched in Annalong, Co Down. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe men were arrested in Co Laois on Tuesday night. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe two men were arrested in Portlaoise late on a Tuesday night. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe man was arrested at a home in Portlaoise, Co Laois. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe man was detained in Co Laois. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe threaded pipe caps and hydrogen peroxide were found in a vehicle at O'Moore Place, Portlaoise. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe suspects were arrested on Wednesday when their car was stopped. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenGardaí arrested a third male in Co. Laois on Wednesday 12 November 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe man was detained this afternoon. (irishtimes.com)
- whenHe was arrested in Portlaoise on the night of Tuesday, November 4th. (irishtimes.com)
- causeGardaí believe the men were planning an attack on a minority group. (irishmirror.ie)
- causeThe charges arise from an investigation into an alleged terrorist attack planned by a right-wing extremist group. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe arrests were part of a Special Detective Unit probe. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe Army EOD team was called to a site near Dundalk on Thursday. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí who searched the car reportedly found a bullet proof vest, pipe ends, hatchets, knives and a sealant. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationDetectives worked with the PSNI on the probe. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationEvidence includes a video in which four masked men indicated an intention to take violent action. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationIt is alleged the items found at Kilhorne Green were components of three pipe-bomb-type improvised explosive devices. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe investigation is at a preliminary stage and its length cannot be determined. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationDetectives believe at least two other suspects were present in Co Laois the week before. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí are investigating whether the men were aided by others in the Republic and Northern Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA major inquiry is under way to determine how long the alleged plot was in the planning and what role others may have played. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí anticipate further arrests in the case. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA video was found on a phone seized when the men were arrested. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe suspect is alleged to have taken part in a propaganda video seized in a Garda operation the previous week. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí suspect the propaganda video, which featured four men, was filmed in the house of the man arrested on Wednesday. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe arrest was part of an ongoing cross border investigation between the Garda and PSNI. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe investigation continues to be led by An Garda Síochána Special Detective Unit. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe two accused were arrested after police on both sides of the Border recovered items in searches in Co Down and Co Laois. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe counter-terrorism investigation is being led by the Garda Special Detective Unit. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA video seized during the arrest and search operation showed four masked men. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe court heard that the men in the video were making a practice recording before filming a second video to be released after an attack on Galway Mosque. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí told the court that an attack on the mosque in Galway was imminent at the time of the arrest. (irishtimes.com)
- chargePeckauskas faces one charge of knowingly possessing an explosive substance at O'Moore Place, Portlaoise. (irishtimes.com)
- chargePollock faces charges of possessing explosives at O'Moore Place, Portlaoise, and at an address on Kilhorne Green. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeOne alleged charge concerns four threaded pipe end caps and six litres of hydrogen peroxide found in the men's possession. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeA second alleged charge concerns components of pipe-bomb-type and incendiary-type improvised explosive devices at one man's home in Co Down. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe man is being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeMr Peckauskas faces one charge of knowingly having an explosive substance in his possession at O'Moore Place, Portlaoise. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe charge carries a jail term of up to 14 years. (irishtimes.com)
- courtPeckauskas was remanded in custody to appear by video link on Thursday, 13 November. (irishtimes.com)
- courtPollock's bail application was refused. (irishtimes.com)
- courtTwo men appeared in court to face explosives charges. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge said the video was a practice video for an attack on Galway Mosque. (irishtimes.com)
- courtTwo men, aged in their 40s and 30s, appeared at Portlaoise District Court last week charged in connection with the investigation. (irishtimes.com)
- courtGardaí argued that the accused may not remain in Ireland to face the charge if granted bail. (irishtimes.com)
- courtJudge Cody refused bail and remanded Mr Peckauskas in custody to appear again on December 11th. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí found at least one suspect device when they examined the seized car. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherSuspicious items recovered at the Annalong house were dealt with by bomb experts. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe two suspects were still in custody at the time of publication. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe alleged attack was intended to bring about the destruction of Galway Mosque. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe charges carry a jail term of up to 14 years on conviction. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA manifesto for the group was found during searches and forms part of the evidence. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe group allegedly intends to target IPAS centres, mosques and hotels housing migrants. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe man is detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939, at a Garda station in the midlands. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe can be held for up to three days. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe man remains in custody at a Garda station in the midlands. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe vehicle was registered to Mr Peckauskas and was being driven by him. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 13 Nov2025Far-right group ‘laughed, joked’ about imminent attack on Galway Mosque, court hears
Reports a bail hearing at Portlaoise District Court in which gardaí described the alleged charge, items seized, a video seized during the arrest, and claims about a planned attack on Galway Mosque by the so-called Irish Defence Army. Bail was refused and the accused was remanded to 11 December. No existing case matches this incident.
accused, Karolis Peckauskas, 38, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Karolis Peckauskassuspect - 12 Nov2025Third man arrested in cross-Border terror investigation
Reports a third arrest in the cross-Border counter-terrorism investigation and states that two men had appeared at Portlaoise District Court the previous week. It adds the Special Detective Unit lead and that items were recovered in searches in Co Down and Co Laois.
suspect, 30s, maleaccused, 40s, maleaccused, 30s, male - 12 Nov2025Gardaí arrest third man over alleged far right plot to attack mosque
Reports a third arrest in the mosque plot investigation, a man in his 30s held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. The article names no one, and the man is not identified as either of the two men already charged. Details of the propaganda video and the house where it was allegedly filmed are added.
suspect, 30s, male - 9 Nov2025Gardaí pursue further suspects as probe into alleged extreme right wing violent group extends
Adds that gardaí are seeking further suspects, that a major inquiry is under way into how long the plot was planned and whether others aided it, that one accused is from Northern Ireland and the other is a foreign national living in Co Louth, and that a video and a manifesto were found as evidence. Also reports the court's description of the video and the alleged explosive components.
accusedaccused, non-irish (judged from name)suspectsuspect - 7 Nov2025Right-wing extremist terror group planned destruction of Galway Mosque, court hears
Adds Garrett Pollock as a co-accused with explosives charges, the alleged target of the plot (Galway Mosque), the video and manifesto evidence, Pollock's refusal of bail, and Peckauskas's remand to 13 November.
accused, Karolis Peckauskas, 38, male, namedKarolis Peckauskasaccused, Garrett Pollock, 35, male, named, irish (judged from name)Garrett Pollock - 6 Nov2025Bomb squad called in as gardai suspect men were about to attack minority group
Adds that the two suspects were arrested when SDU detectives stopped their car on Wednesday, that a seized car from Drogheda had a suspect device examined by gardaí near Dundalk, that the Army EOD team attended, that a house in Annalong, Co Down was searched with the PSNI, and that the suspects remained in custody at publication.
suspect, malesuspect, male