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Man charged with possession of explosive substance after bomb found in car

News imagePA A white Garda van with a yellow stripe along its side pulls out onto a main road on a dark night.PA
A Garda vehicle leaves after Simon O'Donovan appeared before a sitting of the Special Criminal Court in Dublin

A man has been charged in connection with an investigation into the discovery of a bomb in a car in the Republic of Ireland.

Simon O'Donovan, 44, with an address at Sperrin Road in Dublin 12, was charged with being in possession of an explosive substance at St Lawrence Rd in Chapelizod, Dublin 10 on 22 July.

He appeared before the Special Criminal Court on Saturday evening.

A vehicle was stopped on the N2 near Carrickmacross near the Irish border on Wednesday. On Friday, a 25-year-old woman was charged in relation to the same incident.

News imageMap of the island of Ireland showing the location of Carrickmacross in County Monaghan, close to the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is shaded in beige and labelled, with Belfast marked to the east. The Republic of Ireland is shown in light grey, with Dublin marked on the east coast. An inset map of the British Isles highlights the island of Ireland.
The bomb was discovered not far from the Irish border

At the sitting of the Special Criminal Court, Det Sgt Shane Noone said he arrested O'Donovan at 17:07 local time on Friday and informed him he would be charged with the offence.

Solicitor Darragh Mackin said he had not taken instruction from O'Donovan as he was observing a strike over changes to criminal legal aid fees and was only appearing in court out of courtesy.

O'Donovan told Judge Patrick McGrath that he had "no representation at all", and had asked for "the services of this gentleman beside me", referring to Mackin.

O'Donovan was remanded in custody until Monday.

Law student Isobella Perrie Sullivan, 25, of Abbeylands Park in Clane, County Kildare, appeared before a district court on Friday charged with possession of explosives in connection with the same incident.

Her solicitor said she had been asked to take a bag to Northern Ireland, and had not been aware what was in it.

Perrie Sullivan was granted bail but remains in custody ahead of a further bail hearing on Monday.