Gardaí opposed bail for gunman at Carlow supermarket

Extra.ie​

03-06-2025

A man who fired a shotgun in a crowded shopping centre in Co Carlow had 'a fascination with firearms' and was on bail facing charges of possessing automatic weapons he bought on the 'dark web'.
It has also emerged that at a previous court hearing, gardaí opposed bail for Evan Fitzgerald, 22, who caused panic when he discharged the gun at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow town on Sunday evening, before fatally turning the weapon on himself following a stand-off with armed gardaí.
The incident, in which a nine-year-old girl suffered minor injuries as she tried to flee, has sparked deep concerns over our bail regime, and there were calls last night for a wider review of laws in this area. Emergency services close to the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Fitzgerald was due in court later this week to face 13 charges relating to the alleged possession of guns, ammunition and explosive materials.
Despite Garda objections, he was granted bail on a surety of €1,000 at a sitting of Naas District Court in March 2024, where he and two co-accused were charged with possession of a G3 Heckler and Koch machine gun, a Remington M1911 handgun and two types of ammunition at Ponsonby Bridge, Straffan, Co. Kildare.
Detective Garda Gavin Curran of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told the court: 'Mr Fitzgerald has a fascination with firearms. He is big time into firearms and ammunition.' A file image of Evan Fitzgerald. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
The release of a suspect facing 'very serious firearms charges' has prompted fresh calls for a review of Ireland's bail laws. Garda sources have told Extra.ie that Fitzgerald, of Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, had an obsession with firearms from an early age and was 'hellbent' on possessing rifles.
'Evan wanted automatic weapons. What we know is that he had a fascination with this type of gun,' a security source told Extra.ie. 'It's not like he wanted a pistol or something of that nature. He wanted a machine gun, something capable of huge damage. He had this fascination as a young teenager, which developed over time.'
At a press conference yesterday, Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hilman said no one was injured by the shots discharged, but a young girl suffered a minor leg injury after falling while running from the scene. Emergency services near the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire
'This was meant to be a normal day out on a bank holiday weekend,' she said. 'This was a terrifying experience for every person that was present in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre yesterday evening.'
In March last year, Fitzgerald and two accomplices were stopped by officers investigating firearms trafficking with support from the Emergency Response Unit.
It was alleged that the firearms and ammunition were purchased by Fitzgerald on the so-called 'dark web' – a hidden part of the internet frequently used for the sale of illicit goods such as drugs and guns – using an encrypted 'proton' email account. Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hillman. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
Detective Garda Curran said that under questioning by gardaí, Fitzgerald made 'full and frank admissions related to the purchase of these firearms', for which he had paid €2,700. The firearms were handed over to gardaí in a face-to-face meeting.
While gardaí believed the weapons were purchased as part of a 'hobby' and were to be used for shooting in the woods, they raised concerns that they could have fallen into the hands of serious criminals.
Gardaí had objected to bail in court, but acceded under strict conditions, including that Fitzgerald not contact the other two accused, adhere to a curfew between midnight and 6 am and avoid illegal activity online. Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Matt Carthy TD. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Sinn Féin's justice spokesman, Matt Carthy, said that it was deeply concerning that the gunman was on bail for very serious firearms charges. Writing on Extra.ie today, he welcomes an upcoming review of bail for repeat offenders promised by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, but said yesterday that there needs to be a wider review of the enforcement and operation of the nation's bail laws.
He highlighted figures on firearms offences by those on bail, which were revealed to him in May. saying: 'In March, I received a reply to a parliamentary question that revealed that 40,348 crimes committed in 2024 were committed by those on bail.
'This was a shocking number and I made the point then that bail laws would need to be examined…. A number of weeks ago, I received further details regarding the number of very serious crimes committed by those on bail, including sexual assaults, robberies, possession of offensive weapons and possession of firearms.
'If we are to deliver safer communities and reduce the level of crime, we cannot accept a situation where this level of crime, particularly very serious crimes, are being carried out by those on bail.'
He added: 'The fact that the person who carried out the shooting at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow was on bail, having been charged with offences associated with purchasing an assault rifle on the dark web, raises many questions.
'This weapon was seized along with a handgun and multiple types of ammunition, and he was arrested by specialist gardaí from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who were assisted by armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit. This tells us just how serious a matter this was.
'We are extremely lucky that no one else was seriously injured or killed in this incident.'
A spokeswoman for Minister O'Callaghan said yesterday: 'The minister will not comment specifically on yesterday's incident in Carlow beyond his statement already issued as it remains a live Garda investigation.'
When asked about a wider review of bail laws, they pointed to the minister's 'recent announcement that Lorcan Staines SC is to assess current bail laws and make any recommendations he believes are appropriate, taking into account the requirements of constitutional justice.'