Three men jailed over plot to attack Galway mosque

Mixed · 2Three men were jailed on Friday 30 October 2026 by the three-judge Special Criminal Court in Dublin for attempting to engage in terrorist activity by plotting to attack the Maryam Mosque on Monivea Road, Galway. 1 2 Mixed · 2Judge Caroline Biggs sentenced Garrett Pollock, described by the Irish Times as the most culpable of the three, to 10.5 years with the final year suspended. 2 1 Mixed · 2Darren Gorman and Karolis Peckauskas each received eight years, also with the final year suspended. 2 3

Centre · 3Pollock is from Annalong, Co Down, Gorman from Portlaoise, Co Laois, and Peckauskas from Drogheda, Co Louth; all three had pleaded guilty earlier this year. Reports give Gorman's age as 34 (Irish Times, BBC) or 35 (Evening Standard). 1 3 2 Mixed · 2The offence, between 4 and 5 November 2025, was attempting to set fire to or firebomb the mosque and was aggravated by hatred; it falls under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005. 2 1 Centre · 2Pollock also pleaded guilty to possessing an explosive substance, found in glass jars in his van on 4 November. 3 1

Left · 1The plot was foiled when gardaí carrying out random drug searches found explosive materials, weapons and evidence relating to a group calling itself the Irish Defence Army in a car carrying Pollock and Peckauskas. 2 Centre · 2Det Insp Alan McDevitt described the group as a violent right-wing extremist group and a splinter of the online Irish Citizens Army, which communicated on Signal; gardaí did not know when the attack would happen, though they earlier told the court it was believed to be imminent and seized a manifesto about attacking the first mosque in Ireland. An Garda Síochána and the PSNI co-operated on the investigation. 3 1 Centre · 1Items seized included cable ties, hatchets, knives, masks and five litres of chemicals usable in pipe bombs. The men filmed a video claiming responsibility for the attack on the "first mosque introduced into our great country". 3

Mixed · 2Judge Biggs said Ireland is a diverse, multicultural country and that the men had brought "shame and embarrassment on all of us". She called it attempted arson with a terrorising message to be spread worldwide, and said it was clearly intended to be the first of many attacks. 2 3 Mixed · 2The court heard in mitigation that Pollock was radicalised online after misusing alcohol and cocaine, and that a doctor cited emotional dysfunction, low self-esteem and isolation. Gorman's counsel cited his submissiveness, vulnerability, drug addiction and mental health issues and no history of violence. Pollock wrote a letter of remorse, and all three previously apologised. 3 2