County Down man among three guilty of planning mosque attack

A man from County Down is among three men who have pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in terrorist activity by planning to damage a mosque in Galway, according to RTÉ.

Garrett Pollock, 36, of Annalong; Darren Gorman, 34, of Portlaoise; and Karolis Peckauskas, 39, of Drogheda, made plans to attack the Maryam Mosque on Monivea Road between 4 and 5 November 2025, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard.

Pollock also admitted possessing an explosive substance. Four glass jars containing it were found hidden in a drawer in his van on 4 November.

The men belonged to the self-styled Irish Defence Army, which Detective Inspector Alan McDevitt described to the court as a violent right-wing extremist group. He said it was a breakaway faction of the online Irish Citizens Army, whose members communicated via “Signal”.

Gardaí did not know when the attack was intended to take place, McDevitt said. The men had discussed using improvised incendiary devices, including pipe bombs and “Molotov cocktails”.

The court heard that the men recorded a video on Pollock’s phone in Gorman’s kitchen in Portlaoise, claiming responsibility for the planned attack. Four masked men in tactical clothing appeared in front of an Irish flag, saying they wanted “to take responsibility for destruction of first mosque introduced into our great country in Galway”.

Pollock submitted a letter to the court expressing remorse and shame. The court heard he had been “radicalised” online after beginning to misuse alcohol and cocaine, and had consumed material about alleged threats posed by immigrants. That content was described as “emotive, ill-informed and AI-generated”.

According to evidence presented in court, Pollock found a sense of belonging after joining a group and was radicalised quickly. A doctor who assessed him said his actions took place amid emotional dysfunction, low self-esteem and isolation.

Gorman’s defence counsel said a psychological report described him as extremely submissive and vulnerable. They said he had drug addiction and mental health issues, but no history of violence, hatred or terrorism.

The three men are due to be sentenced on 30 October 2026.