Illegally held antique guns confiscated in Cork saved from destruction by museum

The three Webley revolvers were confiscated from a man in Clonakilty who produced them in front of friends during a drunken moment

An example of a Webley Revolver. There was no evidence the revolvers had ever been fired by the defendant. File photo

Confiscated Webley revolvers from the late 1800s which were to have been destroyed will be sent instead to the National Museum of Ireland.

Prosecution barrister Brendan Kelly said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the museum had contacted him following an order for the destruction of the weapons. 

At the time of the case earlier this week, Judge Helen Boyle said she would prefer if the revolvers were sent to a museum but was told that a destruction order was the only order that could be made. That order has now been changed to allow for the weapons to be sent to the museum.

The three revolvers were confiscated from a 61-year-old man, Jan Walowy of Molaga Street, Clonakilty, County Cork, who claimed that he found them in a sealed container inside a black plastic bag on the foreshore in the Clonakilty area.

He pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to four charges. Three of the charges relate to having Webley revolvers at his home on January 21 and the fourth charge relates to having 12 rounds of .455 calibre ammunition, without having them for a lawful purpose.

Sergeant Kevin Long said the matter came to the attention of gardaí after Walowy produced the weapons in front of friends during a drunken moment. He pointed a revolver at one friend and showed him that it contained bullets.

Judge Boyle said there was no evidence the revolvers had ever been fired by the defendant as she gave him a three-year suspended sentence.

The three revolvers are to be sent to the museum. The order for the destruction of the ammunition remains.