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Here in Co. Tipperary today, we again remember the two victims of the Dublin bombings; both murdered in the city, 51 years ago this very day, 17th May 1974.
In Dublin city car bombs were detonated without warning during rush hour, resulting in the murder of Miss Breda Turner, Thurles, Co. Tipperary aged 21 years and Mrs Maureen Shields, aged 46 years, originally from the village of Hollyford, west Co. Tipperary.
Mrs Shields, married with one son and two daughters, was murdered in the Talbot Street explosion, while Miss Turner, who was then engaged to be married on the following Easter, was murdered in the Parnell Street explosion.
It is at this time also that we remember Mr George Bradshaw, aged 30 years, a bus conductor from Fethard, Co. Tipperary, who was a victim of the Dublin bombing of December 1st 1972, at Sackville Place, in the city.
Statement by the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan on the 51st Anniversary of Dublin and Monaghan Bombings.
“Today marks the 51st anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, a devastating series of coordinated explosions in Dublin city centre and in Monaghan town.
Today, we remember all those that tragically lost their lives and we remember the survivors of the bombings. We think of their families and friends whose loved ones were injured or killed, and who have carried unbearable loss and traumatic memories for over five decades.
The Government will not forget our duty to the victims and survivors, and we will persevere in our efforts to seek out the truth behind the tragic events of 17 May 1974 and, hopefully, secure some measure of comfort for those effected by these callous attacks.
We have worked consistently to implement the all-party motions which call on the British Government to allow access to all relevant documents relating to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and I specifically raised this issue with the British Government at the recent meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference at Hillsborough Castle.
The investigation into the bombings remains an open case in this jurisdiction. Any new evidence that comes to light will be fully investigated by An Garda Síochána.
The Government is committed to working with victims’ groups and our Northern Ireland and British counterparts to develop fit-for-purpose mechanisms to meet the needs and expectations of all those impacted by those dark days, including the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. We will play our full part in legacy processes including addressing the legacy of the conflict in this jurisdiction.”
Former Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, Baroness Nuala O’Loan (Member of House of Lords
of the United Kingdom), previously found that Special Branch officers gave the killers immunity,
thus ensuring that the murderers were never brought to justice.
Mr Sean Fitzpatrick with an address at Kilpurcell, Ballybrophy, Portlaoise, Co Laois, aged 22 year, has been jailed for 18 months, after he admitted to dangerous driving causing the death of a college friend, when they were both on a night out together, in Thurles, Co Tipperary, in March of 2023.
The accident occurred at College Green, Monakeeba, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court were informed that Mr Fitzpatrick had driven for more than a kilometre with the late Mr Adam Kirwan standing on the door frame, hanging out the driver’s door, with one hand on the roof of the car and the other on the open driver’s door.
Sadly Mr Kirwan, aged 20 and a former Laois minor and under-20 hurler, died when the car driven by Mr Fitzpatrick hit a kerb, after he misjudged a corner, in a single vehicle collision, less than 50 metres from their intended accommodation that fatal night, in Thurles town.
Both young men had been studying to become teachers and were attending, as students at Mary Immaculate College (Previously St Patrick’s College Seminary ), Cathedral Street, in Thurles.
Mr Fitzpatrick admitted driving with excess alcohol causing death and driving without motor insurance. Both men had been on a night out with a third college friend when they decided to move Mr Kirwan’s car from a car park in Thurles, in case the car received a parking fine, before they could retrieve it the following morning.
Both men drank pints of beer and ‘Jagerbombs’ (a shot of Jägermeister flavoured liquor, usually mixed with an energy drink), while watching a match in a local pub, before later attending a house party on the night.
Considered less intoxicated, Mr Fitzpatrick drove the car, however, his alcohol reading was found to be more than twice the acceptable drink driving limit.
Mr Kirwan clung onto the roof and the open door of the moving vehicle for the 1.3km journey (0.80mls) from the centre of Thurles to the house where they were being accommodated
Mobile video footage was played in court at the sentencing hearing, recorded by a third passenger, who sat in the rear seat of the vehicle together with Closed-Circuit Television video (CCTV) footage gathered by investigating Gardaí.
Presiding Judge Ms Catherine Staines sentenced Mr Fitzpatrick to three years in jail, with the final 18 months suspended. In sentencing the Judge stated that Mr Kirwan’s death was what resulted when people mixed drinking with dangerous driving.
Since the beginning of last week Revenue officers have seized contraband with an estimated value of some €355,000. The seizures were made in various operations in Tipperary, Dublin, the Midlands, and at Rosslare Europort.
The detections were made as a result of risk profiling and intelligence led operations, and included some 5.4kg of herbal cannabis, with an estimated value of €108,600; some 5,200 mixed tablets, with an estimated value of €10,300; cash to the value of €42,750, and some 561 counterfeit items, estimated in value at some €178,000.
Revenue detector dogs Ciara and Enzo discovered herbal cannabis and mixed tablets, while Revenue officers were examining parcels in Dublin and the Midlands. Same had been sent from France, India, and Holland and were destined for various addresses nationwide on the island of Ireland.
Ten weapons were also seized in searches in the Midlands, and separately, tobacco and alcohol products with an estimated value of almost €14,000, (representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of over €10,400), were seized in various operations in Co. Tipperary, the Midlands and in Co. Wexford.
The counterfeit goods seized were confirmed by the Rights Holder to have seriously infringed on Intellectual Property Rights.
During the operation in Co. Tipperary, Revenue officers seized cash to the value of €42,750 during the search of a property using a search warrant. On Friday last May 2nd 2025, Revenue officers were granted a 3 month detention order, in respect of the aforementioned cash, by order of Mr Justice Brian O’Shea at Clonmel District Court, South Co. Tipperary.
If affected businesses or members of the public, have any further information regarding such activities, they should contact Revenue officers, in strictest confidence, on Tel: 1800 295 295.
All the above seizures were part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting smuggling and shadow economy activities and further investigations remain ongoing.
- Introduce two specific criminal offences around ‘Sex for Rent’.
- Amend legislation on disclosure of counselling records in sexual assault trials.
The Minister for Justice, Mr Jim O’Callaghan TD, today secured Government approval for the drafting of legislation which responds to a range of pressing challenges for the criminal justice system, one of which we already published HERE
The proposed legislation also includes measures to criminalise the exploitative practice of seeking sex in lieu of rent and to ensure that counselling records are only released where the Court decides that they contain material relevant to legal proceedings.
The General Scheme of the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 will now be referred to the Justice Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny and, when its report is received, work on finalising the Bill will be prioritised.
Separately, it is proposed to introduce two specific criminal offences around ‘sex for rent’ (offering accommodation in exchange for sex) and the advertising of accommodation in exchange for sex.
The provisions encompass both rental agreements between landlords and tenants, and ‘rent-a-room’ situations. It is the offer or advertisement that is being criminalised – there is no requirement to prove that sexual activity occurred. The proposed penalty for these offences is a Class A fine of up to €5,000.
Another measure in the proposed legislation that will strengthen laws in the Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence area concerns new Bail restrictions on those accused of coercive control or imposing forced marriage.
Under the Bill, the two offences would be added to the schedule of the Bail Act 1997. This means that, under the new terms of an amended Bail Act, a court could refuse an application for bail made by a person charged with coercive control or forced marriage, if it considers it necessary to prevent that person committing a serious offence.
The General Scheme can be read in full HERE.
The Irish government is set to approve new legislation which will allow a member of An Garda Síochána (Guardians of the Peace) to request anyone, found wearing a mask or other face covering, to remove same in certain circumstances.
If the request is met by a refusal, the individual would be seen to commit a criminal offence and could be arrested and prosecuted.
In many cases such masks are being worn to prevent personal identification during street protests or where an offence is being carried out, as observed during riots on the streets of Dublin recently
A change in our laws would also allow An Garda Síochána to seize the offending and cowardly masks or other face coverings.
The proposed legislation is being brought to Cabinet for approval today by Minister for Justice Mr Jim O’Callaghan. It was initially designed to tackle far-right protesters, but is now expected to extend further granting Gardaí a more wide-ranging power, based on their judgment of any serious situation as in the case of street crime in our towns and cities.
Garda sources have confirmed that many crimes, including road traffic offences on scooters and motorbikes, as well as assaults and thefts are perpetrated by young offenders wearing face coverings.
If approved by Cabinet, the general scheme of the legislation will be published followed by a pre-legislative scrutiny process. It is envisaged the legislation could be enacted as early as October of this year and will be seen by many as a welcome change to Irish law.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties, however, is deeply concerned by any change to the law which criminalises the wearing of face coverings and states that people may want to wear face coverings for medical reasons; religious reasons or to protect their privacy. (Obviously, none of their membership have walked O’Connell Street, Dublin, after 6:00pm on a winters night.)
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