Court told video made in Portlaoise was practice statement for release after terror attack on Mosque

A court heard a video of masked men produced in Laois appeared to be a practice statement to be broadcast following a far right terrorist attack on a mosque in Galway. 

The claim was made during the appearance of two men who were arrested and charged with possessing explosives in Portlaoise on Tuesday night. 

Garrett Pollock (35) of 12 Kilhorne Green, Annalong, Down is accused of possessing an explosive substance, to wit  four threaded pipe end caps and six litres of hydrogen peroxide at O’Moore Place, Portlaoise on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. 

He was further charged with possessing “three externally threaded metal pipes, hexagonal metal end caps and lengths of green firework fuse (which)are the components of three pipe bomb type improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and four incendiary type improvised explosive devices (IEDS) with white dish cloth wicks” at his address contrary to Section 4 of the  Explosive Substances Act, 1883. 

His Counsel, David Nugent BL, applied for bail in relation to his client.

Special Detective Unit Detective Garda Declan O’Connor said gardaí would be strongly opposed to a bail application. He told the court that Pollock was entitled to be tried in Northern Ireland if he so wished and he had a duty to inform the court of this.

Det O’Connor said the accused was facing two charges of possessing explosives, one from O’Moore Place and one from his address in Northern Ireland. He said Laois gardaí had stopped and searched a vehicle the defendant was a passenger in on Tuesday night and discovered a number of  items including threaded pipe end caps and hydrogen peroxide. 

Det O’Connor said gardai believed the defendant was a member of a right wing group which was planning a terrorist attack. He said a video was discovered on the defendant’s phone which showed “four masked males including Mr Pollock reading a statement” and he said gardaí believed he was with a group planning to carry out a terrorist attack. He said gardai fear he won’t appear in court if granted bail as he lives outside the jurisdiction and he said the defendant posed a threat to the State. 

Mr Nugent asked Det O’Connor if the video was on Tiktok? Det O’Connor said he didn’t believe it had been posted online. “I don’t think it was shared. It was on his device,” he said. 

Mr Nugent then asked if it was Det O’Connor who had stopped and arrested his client and what had caused them to search him. 

Det O’Connor said the accused had been arrested in O’Moore Place by Garda Fahy, Garda Aoife Laffan and Garda Patrick Camon. He said the Special Detective Unit did not have an operation in place and there was no intelligence prior to the arrests. Mr Nugent then asked about a document that was discovered which was “alleged to be a manifesto on behalf of that group”. 

“He has admitted that he created and produced that document,” said Det O’Connor. Mr Nugent then asked about the phone. He said his client would be willing to sign on at a garda station in Dundalk if granted bail. He pointed out that the man was innocent and said he would spend a considerable amount of time in custody awaiting trial if he was refused bail.  

Judge Andrew Cody asked if the video could be shown in court. Det O’Connor said gardai believed the video was made in a house in O’Moore Place. A member of the SDU asked that the video be shown to the judge in private as the investigation was ongoing.  

After viewing the video, Judge Cody broke for lunch and said he would give his decision on the bail application when he returned. 

“The Court acknowledges that the accused comes before it an innocent man/woman and the presumption of innocence always remains until conviction,” he said when he returned. 

He said Det O’Connor  “gave evidence that the devices seized indicate planning and knowledge of the manufacturer of improvised explosive devices and he was of the opinion that the documents seized indicate planning of a terrorist attack on behalf of a right-wing violent extremist grouping.”

He gave evidence that the accused Mr Pollock admitted at interview handing items found in the vehicle, Judge Cody pointed out. 

Referring to the searches in Northern Ireland,  Judge Cody said “a number of suspected incendiary devices and components parts were recovered and a number of documents were seized and the notebook. These documents indicate knowledge and planning of manufacture of improvised explosive devices and examination of documents indicate the planning of a terrorist attack on behalf of a right-wing violent extremist group.” 

He then spoke of the video which he had viewed in private. 

“A video recovered from the accused's phone was played which Detective Garda O'Connor said was taken at O'Moore Place Portlaoise on 4 November 2025. This video shows what appears to be four men dressed in black with a tricolour behind them. They are all wearing balaclavas although two of them remove the balaclava towards the end of the video and another person, who it is alleged is the accused, has the balaclava loose around his eyes.

I am satisfied that Detective Garda O'Connor's opinion that this person is the accused is well-founded,” he stated. 

“It is apparent that the video is a practice of a statement being released subsequent to a successful terrorist attack. Two of the participants including the gentleman Detective Garda, believes to be the accused read a prepared statement,” said Judge Cody. 

“In this statement which is addressed to all citizens in the North and South of Ireland they say that they are taking a moment to speak honestly and directly recognising that everyone in the country has had enough of the poor treatment particularly children, women and the elderly who have been left homeless starving cold and under threat due to the number of migrants that have been brought into the country by our government. They describe this as a threat to our sovereignty and could potentially be a hostile takeover,” he said. 

Judge Cody said “they then say that they accept responsibility for the actions that have resulted in the destruction of the first mosque that was introduced in Ireland in County Galway. They say that they accept that this would have caused a lot of hurt, disappointment and destruction for foreign migrants both the legal and illegal in the community that they do not care. They say that this will not be their last attack.”

He said the people in the video claim their philosophy as “an eye for an eye”. 

“They say they intend to target IPAS centres, Mosques and hotels housing migrants and that they would take this as far as necessary to achieve their goals and call on others to join them,” noted Judge Cody. 

Judge Cody said he believed the opinion evidence by Detective Garda O'Connor was well founded.

He said refusal of bail was necessary  to prevent the commission of a serious offence and due to the strength and nature of the evidence in support of the charge. 

He remanded the defendant in custody to appear again by video link at Portlaoise District Court on November 13. 

A co accused, Karolis Peckauskas (38) of An Tobar, 37 Newfoundwell Road, Drogheda, Co Louth faced one charge of “possession an explosive substance, to wit four threaded pipe end caps and six litres of hydrogen peroxide at O’Moore Place, Portlaoise on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. 

He didn’t seek bail and Detective Garda Joe Fahy gave evidence of arresting and charging the accused at Abbeyleix Garda Station at 12.13 am today. He said the defendant, who was aided by a Lithuanian interpreter in court, replied, “I do not understand’ when charged. 

Anne Doyle BL said there was no application for bail and Judge Andrew Cody remanded the accused in custody to appear again before Portlaoise District Court by video link on November 13.