Six-year sentence for Tipperary man caught at traffic stop with pipe-bombs

Dylan Cahill, aged 24, of Lower Irishtown, Clonmel, County Tipperary, received a six-year sentence at the Special Criminal Court following guilty pleas to weapons and explosives charges. On 13 May 2015, gardaí conducting traffic enforcement stopped a vehicle near Glefarne, County Leitrim after reports of fuel theft. A search of the maroon Volkswagen Passat uncovered a plastic shopping bag containing a .380 calibre semi-automatic pistol, four rounds of matching ammunition, and two improvised explosive devices. Cahill, the driver, pleaded guilty to possession of the firearm and ammunition, and to possession of the pipe-bombs at the same location. During interview, he stated he was unaware of the weapon's intended purpose. Gardaí assessed the items were being transported in connection with IRA activities. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding with two colleagues, imposed concurrent sentences of six years, with the final year suspended, on each count.