Up to 100 staff kept in refinery plant as Gardai quiz man over 'viable bombs'
Reliable sources said the man was being questioned by Gardaí as part of an ongoing cross border Garda - PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) investigation.
One of the bombs was discovered close to the large alumina refinery Aughinish Alumina, located between Foynes and Askeaton, Co Limerick.
The Rusal alumina giant, which owns the plant, had not responded to media queries sent to it last Sunday.
It's understood that up to 100 of the 450 staff employed at the Rusal-owned Aughinish refinery were unable to leave the plant as a 350-metre security cordon was put in place allowing Gardaí and members of the Defence Forces respond at the scene for several hours between Friday night and Saturday morning.
It's understood that Gardaí are no longer investigating the possibility that the bomb could have been a reaction to Russia's largest bombardment on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, last Thursday night.
A spokesman for the Irish Defence Forces confirmed the bomb was 'viable', meaning it was capable of detonating and causing injuries or death.
A statement provided by the Defence Forces read: 'On Friday evening, bomb experts from the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team responded to a request for assistance from An Garda Síochána (AGS) in relation to a suspect device in the area of Askeaton, Co. Limerick.
'Following an assessment, the EOD team confirmed the device was viable, and it was rendered safe. The EOD Team then handed the scene over to AGS.
"The army EOD unit were on scene for a total of six hours, from arrival on scene at 6.58pm, Friday, to departure at 01.04am, Saturday 5 July."
Gardaí said they were 'alerted' to the bomb after its discovery at approximately 3.30pm last Friday, 'and a cordon was established' until the scene was declared safe.
The area where the bomb was found is located close to a publicly-accessible nature walking trail.
In February 2022, Gardaí launched an investigation into criminal damage at the entrance to Aughinish Alumina which was daubed with slogans in red paint, similar in nature to paint attacks at Russian embassies around the world in protest at Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Other bombs were found elsewhere in the north west of Ireland.
A Garda statement on Tuesday read: 'As part of the investigation into the discovery of a number of attempted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Northeast and Southwest of the country, a male (40s) was arrested on Sunday, 6th July 2025.
'The male was arrested during an operation on Sunday evening involving National, Regional and local Garda units in County Monaghan.'
Gardaí said the suspect was detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939 at a Garda Station in the North Western Region.
'An Garda Síochána continues to liaise with our colleagues in the PSNI in relation to this investigation,' the statement continued.
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