The alleged New IRA bomb plot, the law student and the museum worker 

The alleged New IRA bomb plot, the law student and the museum worker 

Author: Belfast Telegraph July 28, 2026 Duration: 19:42

A “significant” bomb built for “catastrophic” damage, and a suspected plot to bring violence to the north-west of Northern Ireland. The foiling of an alleged New IRA plot to detonate a bomb was a stark reminder of the dissident republican activity that quietly continues on both sides of the border. 


At the heart of the case are two suspects: Simon O’Donovan (44), an employee at the National Museum in Collins Barracks, and Isobella Perrie Sullivan (25), a law student.  


Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Ken Foy, crime correspondent at the Irish Independent, to look at how the plot was uncovered – and what comes next. 


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