Palestine protest may have caused €100k of damage at Collins Aerospace in Cork, court told

Up to €100,000 worth of criminal damage may have been caused at Collins Aerospace in Cork, it was alleged by An Garda Síochána, as a young woman appeared in Cork District Court today facing a charge arising out of the investigation.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis said there was an active investigation and that it was a serious case where it would be alleged that up to €100,000 worth of damage was caused.

Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, asked for any adjournment of the case to be made peremptory against the state. Sgt Davis asked for it not to be peremptory. 

Judge John King did not make it a peremptory adjournment against the state and put the case back until March 24 to allow time for directions to be obtained from the DPP.

27-year-old Kellie McConnell of Toner House, Sidmonton Place, Bray, County Wicklow, appeared in Cork District Court on Wednesday charged with committing an offence of burglary contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, at Collins Aerospace, Penrose Wharf, Penrose Quay, Cork, on Monday October 13, 2025. 

TRESPASSER

The particulars of the charge state that having entered a building as a trespasser she committed an arrestable offence, to wit criminal damage therein.

There is a co-accused facing the same charge but the case against him was not before the court on Wednesday. The background to the alleged offence is a protest in support of Palestine.

Detective Garda Martin McSweeney outlined the allegations in the case previously where he said that before 7am on Monday, October 13, 2025, there was a break-in at Collins Aerospace, Penrose Wharf, Penrose Quay.

“It is alleged that the accused entered the third floor of the building using a ladder and caused extensive damage to the property. Various slogans were spray painted on numerous walls. Monitors and windows were smashed, causing thousands of euro of damage. 

"The fire brigade had to be utilised when the two accused refused to come down from a third floor ledge. Gardaí had to use negotiators to convince them to remove themselves from the ledge. Both were subsequently taken down with the assistance of a fire brigade hoist and they were conveyed to Mayfield Garda Station,” Det. Garda McSweeney said.

Collins Aerospace has been targeted by pro-Palestine protesters as its parent company, RTX (formerly Raytheon), supplies defence systems to Israel. RTX has also partnered with Israeli firms to develop weapons systems, which it says are used to “protect the citizens and infrastructure of Israel”.