SECURITY arrangements at the Border are likely to be reassessed after it emerged that the bomb discovered near the Sinn Fein offices in Monaghan contained enough explosive to have wrecked part of the town.
The bomb, believed to have been planted by members of the UVF during Sunday night, failed to explode but its detonator went off around breakfast time on Monday.
The hold-all containing the explosive was removed by Army explosive experts on Monday afternoon. Before it was properly examined it had been believed that the bomb contained only five 0.5 kilo sticks of explosive.
However, security sources yesterday confirmed that the bomb contained 25 sticks of the commercial explosive, manufactured under the trade name Powergel, and all of it was in prime condition.
If the bomb had exploded it would have wrecked the back of several premises in Dublin Street, Monaghan, including the office of the local Sinn Fein representative, Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain.
According to sources close to the loyalists, Mr O Caolain was targeted because of his relatively high political profile in Sinn Fein in the Republic. Mr 6 Caolain has consistently had the highest poll for Sinn Fein in local and general elections, although he has never secured a Dail seat.
This was the first loyalist bomb attack in the Republic since September 1994, although a number of hoax devices were planted last summer.
While the loyalist ceasefire is still officially in place, both the UVF and UDA are suspected of having taken part in unclaimed attacks on republican figures.
Higher levels of security along the Border are likely to be considered now that the loyalists have actually moved explosive into the Republic.
There was no indication from the Defence Forces yesterday, however, that it was considering returning the explosives ordnance disposal team moved from Dundalk after the IRA ceasefire in 1994. The team which dealt with the device in Monaghan had to travel from Dublin.