The gun laws in Ireland are far more extreme than anything we are ever likely to see in the United States in our lifetimes, especially with the Second Amendment still in place. The laws there are some of the toughest in the world, and they’re only getting more strict as time marches on.

And to hear our home-grown anti-gunners tell it, gun control works because it keeps people from having things they shouldn’t have.

Well, one area where our gun laws coincide, more or less, is in restricting things like machine guns and destructive devices. Sure, we can have them, but it’s not easy to get for most of us, which means it’s not that different from Ireland in practical terms. There are more exceptions here, to be sure, but close enough for government work.

And how well do the Irish laws keep people from having those things?

Well, not very.

A 30-year-old Gorey woman accused of having firearms and ammunition in Gorey has been refused bail.

Ciara O’Reilly of Gleann An Ghairdin, Gorey, Co. Wexford, appeared before a special sitting of Wexford District Court before Judge John O’Leary on Saturday night in connection with four charges arising from her arrest.

Ms O’Reilly is charged with, on March 27, 2025, at Gleann an Ghairdin, Gorey, Co. Wexford, had in her possession an ammunition magazine 9mm Lazer Calibre Sub-Machine gun in such circumstances as to give reasonable inference that you had it in your possession for a lawful purpose Contrary to Section 27A (1) of the Firearms Act 1964.

She is further charged with having in her possession a firearm which is a 9mm Lazer Calibre Hecblerand Koch MP5K Sub-Machine gun; Also having in her possession a firearm, a .22 Long Rifle Calibre Firearms Barrel, both charges to give rise to a reasonable inference that they were in her possession for a lawful purpose Contrary to Section 27A (1) of the Firearms Act 1964.

Ms O’Reilly is also accused having in her possession an explosive substance, three hand held grenades under such circumstances as to give reasonable suspicion that you did have it in your possession for a lawful object Contrary to Section 4 of the Explosive Substance Act 1883, as amended by Section 15(4) of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998.

Honestly, a submachine gun and three grenades would result in quite the charges here in the United States. While I don’t think any of that should be as restricted as it is by any stretch of the imagination, it is, and most people don’t actually get their hands on things like hand grenades.

Even criminals, if we’re being honest.

But in the good old Republic of Ireland, at least one woman managed to do just that, along with a submachine gun. That’s something I can’t pull off, even with them technically legal here if you jump through the right hoops–they’re not even that legal in Ireland–but the grenades are what really makes this stand out.

There’s no way those are to be legally had throughout most of the world. While they’re technically possible here, the fact that you have to jump through the NFA hoops for each grenade makes it far less practical to buy than any other NFA items.

But this woman had three of them in a non-permissive nation.

I mean, it’s like everything we’ve been told about gun control is a blatant lie.