Ireland Two men charged with explosives in Galway mosque terror conspiracy
On 4 November 2025, two men were detained in Portlaoise, Co Laois, in a cross-border terrorism investigation into an alleged plot by the far-right group Irish Defence Army to bomb Galway Mosque and other locations. Gardaí later raided the home of a Sinn Féin party member in Laois on 5 November and arrested her partner, who was detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and released without charge on 13 November. Two men have since appeared in court charged with explosives offences linked to the conspiracy. Sinn Féin expelled the female member on 8 November after she failed to notify the party of the raid. Gardaí said the investigation remains live, with items allegedly related to explosive devices seized from a car in Co Laois and incendiary-type devices found at a property in Co Down searched by the PSNI.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested13 Nov
2 reports - Chargednot reported
- In court13 Nov
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- The investigation concerns an alleged plot by the far-right group Irish Defence Army to bomb Galway Mosque and other locations.
- Where
- Two men were detained in Portlaoise, Co Laois, and the home of a Sinn Féin party member in Laois was raided.
- When
- The two men were detained on the night of 4 November 2025, and the home raid took place on 5 November.
- Cause
- The investigation concerns far-right extremism, including threats of a terror campaign against migrants.
- Investigation
- Gardaí seized items allegedly related to explosive devices from a car in Co Laois, and similar items and incendiary-type devices were found at a property in Co Down searched by the PSNI.
- The partner of the Sinn Féin member was arrested after the raid and detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
- A video made by four masked men indicated an intention to take violent action against migrants.
- Charges
- Two men appeared in court charged with explosives offences linked to the alleged conspiracy.
- Sentence
- The partner was released without charge on 13 November 2025.
- Other details
- Sinn Féin expelled the female party member on 8 November after she failed to notify the party of the raid.
24 statements extracted from the articles
- whatSinn Féin expelled a party member in Laois after her partner was arrested in a cross-border terrorism investigation. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- whatThe investigation concerns an alleged plan by a far-right group to bomb a mosque and other locations. (thejournal.ie)
- whatGardaí searched the home of a Sinn Féin party member and her partner was arrested. (irishtimes.com)
- whereTwo men were detained in Portlaoise, Co Laois, on the night of Tuesday 4 November. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe party was told on Friday night that the home of the female member and her partner had been raided. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- causeThe investigation concerns an alleged plot by a far-right group to attack Galway Mosque. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe partner was arrested after the raid on the home. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationGardaí said the investigation is live and serious and could not be commented on further. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationThe partner of a Sinn Féin member was arrested as part of an anti-terror Special Detective Unit investigation into far-right extremism. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationA number of arrests have been made and a number of properties have been searched in the investigation. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationThe home of the female party member and her partner was raided, and the partner was later arrested. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationThe far-right group is named the Irish Defence Army. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí are also investigating threats by the group to run a terror campaign against migrants. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí seized items allegedly related to explosive devices from a car in Co Laois. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationSimilar items and incendiary-type devices were found at a property in Co Down searched by the PSNI. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA video made by four masked men indicated an intention to take violent action against migrants. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeTwo men have appeared in court and are charged with explosives offences linked to the alleged conspiracy. (irishtimes.com)
- courtA number of people are already before the courts in relation to the wider investigation. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe partner was released without charge on Thursday evening. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe female member was expelled on Saturday evening for failing to tell the party about the raid or its seriousness. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- otherSinn Féin expelled the female party member after it emerged her home had been searched. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe party said the expelled member had failed to notify it of the raid. (thejournal.ie)
- otherSinn Féin expelled the member after learning her home had been searched and she had not told the party. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe partner was detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act at a Garda station in the midlands. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 13 Nov2025Sinn Féin expels member whose partner was arrested in far-right terrorism inquiry
Reports the expulsion of a Sinn Féin member after her home was searched, her partner's arrest and release without charge, and the charging of two men with explosives offences in the far-right terrorism investigation.
suspect, 30s, maleaccused, maleaccused, male - 13 Nov2025Sinn Féin expels party member after arrest of her partner in far-right terror probe
Reports the arrest of the partner of an expelled Sinn Féin member in a wider nationwide, cross-border terror investigation, and the party's expulsion of the member. No date, location or age is given for the partner's arrest, so it is not clearly the same arrest as any existing case.
suspect, male - 13 Nov2025Sinn Féin expel Laois party member following arrest of partner in Garda far right probe
Reports that the partner of a Sinn Féin member was arrested in the cross-border terrorism investigation linked to last week's Portlaoise arrests, and that the party expelled the member. The article gives no date for the partner's arrest and does not name him.
suspect, male