Judge hands 10-year sentence in foiled Galway mosque bomb plot
Three men pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on the Maryam Mosque, citing a hatred-driven motive that targeted the local Islamic community.
By Emily Brooks ·
A judge in Ireland has sentenced three men for plotting to attack a mosque in Galway with pipe bombs.
The Special Criminal Court heard the case in October 2026. Judge Caroline Biggs presided over the proceedings.
The three defendants are Garret Pollock, 36, Karolis Peckauskas, 39, and Darren Gorman, 34. All three pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in terrorist activity.
The plot involved setting fire to the Maryam Mosque at Old Cottages on Monivea Road in Galway. The incident was scheduled for November 4 and 5, 2025.
Gardaí discovered the plan by chance. Officers conducting random drug searches found explosive materials and weapons in a car. Pollock and Peckauskas were driving the vehicle at the time.
The group called itself the Irish Defence Army. They intended to spread a message of terror worldwide. Pollock devised the manifesto and created a manual for making explosives. He also tested the improvised devices to ensure they functioned.
Judge Biggs described the motivation as driven by hatred. She stated the defendants believed in a hierarchy of immigrants. They thought they should decide which groups were welcome in society. She called this view disturbing.
The judge noted that the mosque is a busy place of prayer surrounded by homes. Detonating the devices could have caused huge and irrevocable damage. The attack was stopped by police work, not by the defendants' conscience.
Pollock received the harshest penalty. He was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison. The final year is suspended. Peckauskas and Gorman each received eight years. Their final year is also suspended.
All three men have children. They will not have a father in their homes for the foreseeable future. None of the defendants had previous convictions for terrorism. Peckauskas and Pollock have been in custody since their arrests. Gorman has worked to address drug addiction issues.
The judge accepted that the men were radicalized through social media. She observed that algorithms manipulate information. However, she said the men made their own choices to seek out radical material. She described their chosen community as one of hooliganism and thuggery.
Each defendant apologized to the nation. The judge said this was appropriate because Ireland is a diverse and multicultural country. She stated that their actions brought shame and embarrassment to everyone. Peckauskas came from Lithuania and integrated into Irish society. The court considered his efforts to deal with personal issues as a mitigating factor.
