A trainee barrister has been charged with possession of explosives after she was stopped in a car containing Semtex and a detonator near the Northern Ireland border, Co. Monaghan authorities reported. Isobella Perrie Sullivan, 25, of Clane, Co. Kildare, was arrested in Aclint, Carrickmacross, in July after gardaí found a bag with the explosives in the back seat of her vehicle.
Sullivan has been granted bail with conditions, including a ban on contacting members of the New IRA or individuals associated with the political party Saoradh. She appeared at Monaghan District Court on Friday, where her case was adjourned until September 28.
Sullivan's defense solicitor stated that she was asked to transport a bag to Northern Ireland and was unaware of its contents, suggesting she had been "manipulated." The vehicle was stopped on the N2, a roadway connecting the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, approximately six miles from the border.
Sullivan, who graduated with a law degree from ATU Donegal last year, was charged alongside Simon O'Donovan, 44, an employee at a Dublin museum. O'Donovan faces charges of possession of an explosive substance and has been remanded in custody until October 5.
Authorities described the seizure as an "extremely significant" find, with the potential to cause considerable damage. O'Donovan is charged in relation to an incident at St Laurence's Road in Chapelizod, Dublin.