Warrant issued for 19-year-old convicted of raping American tourist

Despite Garda Connely's statement at the hearing, Southern Ireland is merely a state (which has surrendered much of its sovereignty to the E.U.), not a "country" as the garda referred to it. When it was established it was known as the Irish Free State, Ireland having ceased to be a country when Partition was imposed by Westminister in 1920 and Northern and Southern Irish states were formed.