Plot against tycoon 'cowardly', says minister

The dissident republican terrorists suspected of planting a bomb at the home of millionaire tycoon Lord Ballyedmond near the Irish border in Co Louth were today branded cowards by a Northern Ireland Office Minister.

David Hanson condemned those responsible for putting the device in a downstairs room of the house being built by Lord Ballyedmond (Dr Edward Haughey) at Dungooley, near Hackballscross, on the border between Louth and Armagh.

The gas cylinder bomb was believed to have been packed with more than 30kg of fertiliser mix and attached to 70 metres of detonating cord, which ran down an outside pathway.

An attempt had been made to explode the device, according to an Army spokesman. The detonator ignited but the explosive didn’t.

Gardaí said if the bomb had detonated it would have destroyed the house.

An Irish Army bomb disposal team moved in to make safe the device after it was discovered by a farm labourer yesterday evening. It was taken away for further examination while gardaí also took a sample for forensic tests.

Mr Hanson praised the work of Dr Haughey, an Ulster Unionist peer in the House of Lords and former member of the Seanad who founded the leading pharmaceutical company Norbrook Laboratories in 1968.

“This was a cowardly attack on someone who has worked tirelessly to create jobs and bring investment into Northern Ireland,” Mr Hanson said.

“His efforts to promote Northern Ireland on an international stage contrast sharply with those who left this device at his home and who want to drag us back to the past. Their actions will not succeed.

“I would urge anyone with any information to report it to the authorities.”

The finger of suspicion is being pointed at the dissident republican grouping, the Real IRA, which is believed to be behind a number of firebomb attacks on British-owned stores in Newry, Co Armagh, and the railway line between Belfast and Dublin recently.

The group was behind the Omagh bombing, eight years ago to the day yesterday, in which 29 people were killed and hundreds injured.

Lord Ballyedmond owns Ballyedmond Castle in Rostrevor, Co Down, and Corby Castle in Cumbria, England, and is the second richest man in Northern Ireland, with an estimated personal wealth of £350m (€517.4m).

Ulster Unionist deputy leader Danny Kennedy said the planting of the bomb was a very worrying development.

The Newry and Armagh Assembly member said: “This attempted murder was apparently carried out by republican dissidents in the north Louth area and follows on from the recent attacks on major businesses in Newry.

“We express our support to Lord Ballyedmond and his family at this difficult time.

“As one of the largest private employers in the Newry area this attack is proof that there are some people who are not prepared to tolerate an industrialist of Eddie’s stature bringing economic prosperity to the area.”

The chief whip of the cross-community Alliance Party in Northern Ireland, Kieran McCarthy, also said those responsible for planting the explosives and the recent spate of firebomb attacks in Newry should face the full force of the law.

“Such actions cannot just be meekly tolerated by the community,” the Strangford Assembly member said.

“People must show that this is unacceptable and the full force of the law must apply to those responsible.

“This is not a game. Lives are being endangered. Businesses are being hindered. Public services are being unnecessarily extended. This must end immediately.”