In an intelligence-led swoop, members of the Garda’s Particular Detective Unit stopped the automobile travelling on the N2 south of Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan on Wednesday afternoon.
Gardaí then requested the help of the Irish Defence Forces EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) group, which accomplished an examination of the automobile.
It’s understood the machine discovered contained suspected navy grade explosives.
Garda sources have described the bomb as “extremely subtle” and “superior”.
The automobile’s feminine driver, aged in her 20s, was arrested on the scene and remained in Garda custody on Friday.
One other suspect, a person aged in his 40s, has since been arrested and is being held at a Garda station within the Dublin space.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly confirmed particulars of the operation as he spoke to media at a Garda commencement occasion in Co Tipperary on Friday.
“To be clear, what we discovered was a particularly important seizure,” he stated.
“So this was an explosive machine.”
Commissioner Kelly added: “Any seizure of this nature is de facto regarding.
“Nonetheless, we actually know that there are a small minority of dissident republicans who didn’t agree with the Good Friday Settlement, they didn’t put weapons and explosives (out of use), they didn’t, you already know, undergo with the right course of in relation to decommissioning.
“So that’s one thing that we proceed to take care of.
“There’s a small minority of those people, I might describe them as radicalised republicans, and it is a menace that we’re going to proceed to face for a while in An Garda Síochána.
“We work very carefully with our colleagues in PSNI (Police Service of Northern Eire) and the intelligence companies within the UK to take care of this menace.
“However I need to commend the members of An Garda Síochána who’re concerned on this operation.”
