Elite gardaí now monitoring 13 separate dissident IRA cells as major bomb attack across border is thwarted and elite terror cops deliver chilling revelation

Published: 22:30, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 22:30, 24 July 2026 Elite gardaí are actively monitoring 13 separate dissident republican groups with hundreds of active members, the Irish Daily Mail can reveal, after officers foiled a massive car bomb attack across the border. In a startling throwback to the days of the Troubles, the huge explosive bomb was discovered in a car boot earlier this week. Now, the Mail can reveal that the Special Detective Unit (SDU) has been monitoring the movements of over a dozen terror cells, all of which are intent on carrying out dissident-related violence. Detectives believe two separate groups have the capability and motive for this bomb. They are the Continuity IRA and the New IRA, the latter was created in the early 2010s following the merging of the Real IRA and Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD). Tests of the defused explosive were still ongoing last night. However, gardaí were said to be shocked at the level of sophistication and the sheer size of the bomb involved. ‘This was similar in size, if not bigger than those used during the Troubles,’ one security source added. There are 13 different factions of Dissident Republican Groups (DRGs) comprising hundreds of members who are being monitored by the Special Detective Unit (SDU) here. Each one was originally derived from the Provisional IRA, which carried out its armed campaign up until the ceasefire in 1997 and the eventual Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The security situation is further complicated by the release of approximately 70 dissident prisoners from Castlerea Prison in recent years, a trend senior sources describe as a major concern for the security services. Speaking about the bomb yesterday, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said it had the potential to cause devastating destruction. Commissioner Kelly said he was certain that the work of the gardaí had stopped a terrorist attack from happening. Commissioner Kelly said he was certain that the work of the gardaí had stopped a terrorist attack from happening. Commissioner Kelly said there is a small but dedicated sub-section of society willing to use violence for political purposes. He said: ‘To be clear, what we found was an extremely significant seizure. So this was an explosive device. Any seizure of this nature is really concerning. ‘However, we certainly know that there are a small minority of dissident republicans who did not agree with the Good Friday Agreement, they did not put weapons and explosives (out of use). They didn’t, you know, go through with the proper process in relation to decommissioning. ‘So that is something that we continue to deal with. ‘There’s a small minority of these individuals, I would describe them as radicalised republicans, and this is a threat that we’re going to continue to face for some time in An Garda Síochána. ‘We work very closely with our colleagues in PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) and the intelligence services in the UK to deal with this threat. A senior Garda in HQ told the Mail yesterday about the sheer numbers of dissidents who are still active on the island. He said: ‘You have the two groupings in particular in which gardaí have serious concerns around their capabilities and capacities. ‘They are the Continuity IRA or CIRA and the NIRA or New IRA. They would have significant capabilities and structures and resources. In a startling throwback to the days of the Troubles, the huge explosive bomb was discovered in a car boot earlier this week ‘The DRGS, all 13 of them, are splinter groups from the Provisional IRA or the Provos – they formed at different stages after the Good Friday Agreement. ‘The NIRA and CIRA are the active ones at the moment with capabilities, with threats against both this State and Northern Ireland. You also have the 32 County Sovereignty Movement,’ he said. ‘The NIRA and CIRA are a viable threat. The threat assessment in Northern Ireland is substantial or critical.’ He said the SDU is tracking over a dozen cells, with the New IRA and the Continuity IRA identified as the groups posing the most significant threat. These factions, all splinter groups of the Provisional IRA, remain active across the island, with particular concerns regarding their capabilities in border areas including Derry, Donegal, and Cavan. ‘The total among the groupings would run into hundreds, not thousands, but hundreds in various groupings.’ Senior gardaí were last night highlighting the ‘significance and importance’ of maintaining the Offences Against the State Act. The Government appointed a committee to review it in recent years. One source said: ‘It’s important that we keep the Special Criminal Court, too.’ Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan described the seizure as ‘very worrying’. ‘I think it is very significant,’ he said. ‘I’ve been updated on that by the (Garda) Commissioner. The New IRA, the group that admitted murdering journalist Lyra McKee, has defiantly put up new 'roadsigns' in the Creggan area of Derry ‘I think it evidences the fact that there is an ongoing threat in respect of dissident republican activity.’ He added: ‘It is very worrying. But I suppose what I’m encouraged about is that the gardaí were able to apprehend the suspect.’ He said there was undoubtedly an ‘ongoing threat’ from dissident republicanism. In a statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Assistant Chief Constable, Crime Department, Davy Beck welcomed the seizure as evidence of a joint commitment to public safety. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.