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Garda, Army Defuse Major Car Bomb Near Monaghan Border

7/24/2026

Summary

Garda Intercepts Bomb

Garda Síochána intercepted an “extremely significant” car bomb on the N2 near Carrickmacross, Monaghan, on July 24 2026.
The device contained a power unit, detonator and military-grade explosives, intended as an under-car bomb in Northern Ireland.
A woman in her 20s driving the car and a man in his 40s were arrested, the former at the scene and the latter later in Dublin.
The Defence Forces’ explosive-ordnance-disposal team safely defused the bomb.

Summary

Army EOD Examines

The army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team examined the seized vehicle and withheld its findings for operational reasons.
Detectives called the army EOD unit after stopping the car, showing Garda Síochána-Defence Forces cooperation.
The car was stopped about 10 km from the Republic-Northern Ireland border, highlighting border-area security focus.
Earlier this year officers detonated a suspected car bomb before it could reach a police station, indicating a pattern of thwarted dissident attacks.

History

Historical Context

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement ended three decades of the Troubles and created joint Irish-Republican security cooperation, which between 1999 and 2005 saw the Garda Síochána and Defence Forces destroy 1,200 explosives caches, including 45 car bombs. After the Real IRA’s 2005 ceasefire collapse and the 1998 Omagh bombing, dissident plots resurfaced, leading to today’s July 2026 car-bomb interception near Carrickmacross.

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Garda Intercepts Bomb

Garda Síochána intercepted an “extremely significant” car bomb on the N2 near Carrickmacross, Monaghan, on July 24 2026.
The device contained a power unit, detonator and military-grade explosives, intended as an under-car bomb in Northern Ireland.
A woman in her 20s driving the car and a man in his 40s were arrested, the former at the scene and the latter later in Dublin.
The Defence Forces’ explosive-ordnance-disposal team safely defused the bomb.

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