Isobella Perrie Sullivan, a 25-year-old trainee barrister allegedly stopped while driving a sophisticated device toward the Northern Ireland border, has been granted bail after her solicitor told a court she previously spent time in Syria before turning away from political activism to focus on her legal studies.
A trainee barrister allegedly caught transporting a car bomb toward Northern Ireland in a suspected New IRA operation had previously spent time in Syria, her lawyer has told a court. Isobella Perrie Sullivan, 25, was arrested on Wednesday after Irish police described making an “extremely significant seizure” of an explosive device. Gardaí said the device, made from military-grade plastic explosive, could have caused significant damage and is believed to be the most sophisticated bomb intercepted by police since the Troubles.
The seizure
Prosecutors told the court the device contained around 20kg of military-grade plastic explosive, making it one of the largest dissident republican bombs intercepted in recent years. Gardaí allege the device was fully assembled and fitted with a timer and power source, meaning it was capable of being deployed without any further construction. It was rendered safe by the Irish Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team before being removed for detailed forensic examination.
The Garda Special Detective Unit stopped the vehicle in an intelligence-led operation on Wednesday afternoon, intercepting it on the N2 south of Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, roughly six miles from the border with Northern Ireland. Investigators believe the bomb was intended to be transported across the border, where dissident republican groups remain active despite the Good Friday Agreement.
A man in his 40s was also arrested as part of the investigation, with Irish news outlets reporting he is a suspected member of the New IRA’s Dublin branch. He remained in custody at a Garda station in the Dublin area on Friday night.
Court appearance and bail conditions
Sullivan, from Clane, Co Kildare, appeared before a special sitting of Trim District Court in Co Meath, where she was charged with possession of explosives under Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883, relating to possessing an explosive in suspicious circumstances. She was granted bail on Friday by Judge Raymond Finnegan, subject to obtaining an independent surety of €15,000 (£12,800).
As part of her bail conditions, Sullivan must sign on daily at a Garda station, observe an overnight curfew at her home, surrender her passport, and have no contact with her co-accused or any witnesses in the case. She is also barred from applying for new travel documents. Sullivan, who appeared in court wearing a pink White Fox Boutique hoodie, lives with her father.
Her background
Sullivan, reportedly known as Perrie, studied at ATU Donegal in Letterkenny, graduating with a law degree last year. Her solicitor, Gavin Booth, told the court she had previously been a member of a “political group” and had spent some time in Syria, but said she had since stepped away from political activity to concentrate on her studies as a trainee barrister.
Booth said his client had been asked to transport a bag to Northern Ireland and had not been aware of its contents, describing her as having been “manipulated.” He said her parents were “devastated” and struggling to comprehend the events of the past week, and said that if granted bail, they would keep her on a “tight rein” to ensure she complied with all conditions set by the court.
Ongoing investigation
Gardaí have continued carrying out searches at multiple locations as part of the wider investigation, with officers examining electronic devices and other evidence recovered during the operation.
Official reaction
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly confirmed details of the operation while speaking to media at a Garda graduation event in Co Tipperary on Friday. “To be clear, what we found was an extremely significant seizure,” he said. “So this was an explosive device.” He added: “Any seizure of this nature is really concerning. However, we certainly know that there are a small minority of dissident republicans who did not agree with the Good Friday Agreement, they did not put weapons and explosives (out of use), they didn’t, you know, go through with the proper process in relation to decommissioning. So that is something that we continue to deal with.”
Kelly described those involved as “radicalised republicans,” adding: “There’s a small minority of these individuals, I would describe them as radicalised republicans, and this is a threat that we’re going to continue to face for some time in An Garda Síochána. We work very closely with our colleagues in PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) and the intelligence services in the UK to deal with this threat. But I want to commend the members of An Garda Síochána who are involved in this operation.”
He confirmed the bomb had already been constructed at the time of seizure, though declined to give further technical detail. “Unfortunately for operational reasons, I can’t go into the exact detail of the device,” he said. “But what I will say certainly it was a significant explosive device. So certainly not just the seizure of components or pieces. This was an explosive device and it would have or could have potentially caused significant damage.” He confirmed the operation had been intelligence-led rather than a routine stop: “Obviously, this was not a random stop. Obviously, this is an intelligence-led operation. But, naturally, I can’t go into a lot of that in public.”
Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, described the seizure as “very worrying.” PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said police on both sides of the Irish border share a “joint commitment” to tackling the ongoing dissident republican terror threat. Despite the Good Friday Agreement having largely ended sectarian violence in Northern Ireland nearly three decades ago, sporadic attacks by militant groups, often involving attempted car bombings, continue to occur in the region.
