Derry Court: Preliminary Enquiry Adjourned Against Man Described as ‘a Bomb Maker’ for the New IRA

A man who a barrister said had been described as ‘a bomb maker’ for the New IRA has had his preliminary enquiry adjourned at Derry Magistrate’s Court July 19.

Kieran McCool (54) of Ballymagowan Gardens in Derry was due to have a PE heard July 19 on a series of terrorism charges.

McCool is charged with the preparation for acts of terrorism on dates between January 1 2016 and January 1 2022.

He also faces a total of seven charges of possessing articles for use in acts of terrorism on dates between December 31 2016 and April 13 2021.

At today’s hearing defence counsel Joe Brolly said his client had been described as a bomb maker for the New IRA and added that the evidence appeared to be purely circumstantial and of some vintage.

He said that the papers in the case were ‘voluminous’ and the defence solicitor in the case had already been granted extra time in order to read them.

The barrister said that he needed authorisation from Legal Services before he could start working on the papers.

This being the case he asked for an adjournment so that that could be done.

The PE is now scheduled to go ahead on August 31.