A Special Branch detective told the Special Criminal Court yesterday he saw a man with a gun in his hand when he came across three men at a bomb factory. Det Garda Martin Harrington said he climbed on a barrel and looked over a dividing wall at a farm in Co Laois after there had been no response to a call of "armed gardai". He saw a workshop with three men in it and one of the men, Mr John Conaty, had a gun in his hand.
The court has heard that 17 Special Branch detectives, led by Det Supt Basil Walsh, raided the farm at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains near Clonaslee on June 20th, 1996, and arrested three men after a violent struggle. The owner of the farm, Thomas Conroy, and his nephew, Mr Michael Cully, were also arrested. The next day
???i discovered "an extremely well-concealed and sophisticated underground bunker" was discovered at the farm containing "a significant arsenal of weaponry", prosecuting counsel Mr Paul O'Higgins SC said.
Thomas Conroy (76), has pleaded guilty to possession of explosive substances, including mortar components, mortars containing Semtex explosives, improvised grenades, timing switches and other material with intent to endanger life at his farm at Ballyfarrell, Clonaslee. on June 20th, 1996. He was remanded on bail for sentencing at the end of the trial of four other men who have denied charges connected with the find.
They are Mr Cully (47), of Ballyfarrell; Mr Brian McNally (55), of Knocksinna Park, Foxrock, Co Dublin; Mr Conaty (36), of Balbutcher Park, Ballymun, Dublin, and Mr Gabriel Cleary (54), of Friarstown, Tallaght, Co Dublin.
Sgt Walter O'Sullivan said Mr Cully told gardai he had met a man he knew as "Sean" in a pub in Tullamore. The man had asked if he could he use his workshop for hydraulics work on farm machinery and had promised to pay him £40.
Mr Cully said he did not know if "Sean" was an IRA man and said he had no interest in politics. The trial continues today.