CALLS warning of bombs at sites due to be visited by Queen Elizabeth II were made during her visit to Ireland in 2011, a Dublin court has heard.
The Special Criminal Court has heard evidence from a Cork University Hospital security guard, who claims he received a bomb warning over the telephone on May 19, 2011 – the third day of the Queen’s historic four-day Irish visit.
The claims were made on Friday during the trial of Kevin Power, 38, of Railway Street, Passage West in Co. Cork, who is appearing before a three-judge court accused of IRA membership.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The security guard claims he received the call between 1.55am and 2.05am on May 19 from a man speaking with a Northern Irish accent, who said he was a member of a republican movement.
The caller, he claims, went on to say that bombs had been planted in a car park at University College Cork (UCC) and at the Rock of Cashel in Co. Tipperary.
Her Majesty visited both Cashel and Cork on the final day of her tour of the Republic on May 20, 2011.
The prosecution told the court of how a detective found what he believed to be a grenade following a search of a UCC car park.
The device, which was said to be “non-viable” and for “training purposes within the army”, was discovered in a plastic bag.
The prosecution told the court that three fingerprints were discovered on the bag and that evidence linking the fingerprints to the defendant would be presented.
Mr Power entered his plea of not guilty to the charge of being a member of the IRA in court proceedings on Friday.
The trial continues tomorrow.
