Portlaoise man pleads guilty to terrorism-related charge

Two men pleaded guilty today to a terrorism-related attempt to damage a Galway mosque last year.

Darren Gorman (34) of O’Moore Place, Portlaoise, Laois and Garrett Pollock (35) of Kilhorne Green, Annalong, Co Down entered guilty pleas before Dublin’s Special Criminal Court on Monday 8 June.

Gorman and Pollock both rose to their feet before the non-jury court and pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in terrorist or terrorist-linked activity to attempt to damage by fire Maryam Mosque in Galway last November, in an offence “aggravated by hatred”.

An earlier court hearing in Portlaoise last March was told that, during their investigations, gardaí seized several mobile phones. One phone contained three video recordings, which gardaí said were recorded in Mr Gorman’s kitchen in O’Moore Place on 4 November 2025.

In the footage, four men can be seen wearing balaclavas, with the Irish Tricolour draped behind them as they read out a statement.

The case was subsequently sent forward to the Special Criminal Court.

Two other men charged with attempting to damage the mosque – Charles Flynn (35) of Castlerock Avenue, Castleconnell, Co Limerick, and Karolis Peckauskas (39) of Newfoundwell Road, Drogheda, Co Louth – have yet to enter a plea.

Peckauskas and Pollock are also charged with offences relating to the possession of weapons and an explosive substance.

Barristers representing Flynn and Peckauskas requested a hearing for mention on 29 June, which was granted.

Pollock and Gorman are to appear before the court via video link on that date.

An Garda Síochána and the PSNI are co-operating on a probe into an alleged plot by a group styling itself as the Irish Defence Army (IDA) to attack the mosque.

Gardaí have told the court previously that they believed an attack on the Galway mosque was “imminent” and had seized a “manifesto document outlining an intention to attack” the first mosque in Ireland.