Gavan Reilly: Let the near-miss of Carlow be the spur for action

This column being written on a Tuesday morning means I must be mindful that somewhere not far away, there is a family in grief, mourning the senseless loss of a 22-year-old with so much living left to live.

And yet, the events of Sunday evening in Carlow – and what has emerged in the meantime – do raise significant questions about how the country handles instances where individuals can pose maximal danger to the safety of the general public.

When Evan Fitzgerald appeared in court last year, charged with the ownership of several illegally-obtained firearms, the prosecuting Gardaí wished for bail not to be granted. Fitzgerald and two co-accused had been found in a forest in Naas brandishing weapons that included a Heckler & Koch 7.62mm, which (among many things) was for many years the main weapon of the West German army.

The group was also found in possession of a M1911 45-calibre automatic pistol, the standard issue weapon for the U.S. Army between the two world wars. Tokarev and Makarov pistols, Soviet-era firearms, were found at Fitzgerald’s home.

The best-case charitable scenario in situations like this is that the collector was some sort of history buff with a fascination for obsolete military firearms. But he would not be alone in that fascination, nor would he need to buy weapons on the dark web (as is suspected) to indulge it. I’m friends with a few military history buffs; there are regular fairs across Europe where people can see, and feel, and examine the weaponry without threatening anyone.

Ironically the book of evidence in Fitzgerald’s case was likely to have been ready for this week, and one might surmise a link between Sunday’s events and the return of his case to court. Who knows. The Gardaí, of course, will have known more about the case than what was merely said in court at the bail hearing in April.

No doubt they will have been conscious that alongside this cache of military-grade weapons, a series of explosive chemicals were found at his address. This is part of the reason why his remains were left untouched overnight on Sunday; the assailant was carrying or wearing items which may have contained explosives. The Army’s explosive ordinance disposal team were called to ensure the scene was safe.

Judges can only make decisions based on the information presented to them, but the subsequent events seem to raise genuine concern about Evan Fitzgerald’s safety to the public. Walking into a shopping centre, with what appear to be makeshift explosives, indiscriminately firing gunshots into the air, is not typical or explicable behaviour.

We may never know his motive, but it does not stretch the imagination that someone with an extensive cache of illegal firearms and explosives might cause widespread injury.

Without laying blame, at the very least the case should warrant a serious inquiry into why the Gardaí were unsuccessful in securing custody, or why the judge was not convinced of their argument. Britain had its trauma of Dunblane, introduced tighter rules around gun ownership, and never had a repeat. Ireland would do well to use this near-miss as its own spur for action.

- Gavan Reilly is Political Correspondent with Virgin Media News and Political Columnist with the Meath Chronicle. Column appears first in Tuesday's paper!