Gelignite (), also known as blasting gelatin or simply "jelly", is an

explosive material An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...

consisting of collodion- cotton (a type of nitrocellulose or guncotton) dissolved in either nitroglycerine or

nitroglycol Ethylene glycol dinitrate, abbreviated EGDN and NGC, also known as Nitroglycol, is a colorless, oily, explosive liquid obtained by nitrating ethylene glycol. It is similar to nitroglycerine in both manufacture and properties, though it is more v ...

and mixed with wood pulp and saltpetre (

sodium nitrate Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Chile saltpeter (large deposits of which were historically mined in Chile) to distinguish it from ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate. T ...

or potassium nitrate). It was invented in 1875, by Swedish chemist

Alfred Nobel Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( , ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedes, Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor, businessman, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He is best known for having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel ...

, who also invented

dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...

. It is more stable than dynamite, but can still suffer from "sweating" or leaching out nitroglycerine. Its composition makes it easily moldable and safe to handle without protection, as long as it is not near anything capable of detonating it. One of the cheapest explosives, it burns slowly and cannot explode without a

detonator A detonator, frequently a blasting cap, is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the last two being the most common. The commercial use of explosives uses electri ...

, so it can be stored safely. In the United Kingdom, an explosives certificate, issued by the local Chief Officer of Police, is required for possession of gelignite. Due to its widespread civilian use in quarries and mining, it has historically been used by terrorist groups such as the Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Ulster Volunteer Force who often used gelignite as a booster.

Frangex

The 1970s saw Irish Industrial Explosives Limited producing annually 6,000 tonnes of Frangex, a commercial gelignite intended for use in mines and quarries. It was produced at Ireland's largest explosives factory in Enfield, County Meath. The Gardaí and the Irish Army patrolled the area, preventing the IRA from gaining direct access. However, indirectly, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) acquired amounts of the material. At the time of his arrest was found in the possession of Patrick Magee and discovered in a

hijacked Hijacking may refer to: Common usage Computing and technology * Bluejacking, the unsolicited transmission of data via Bluetooth * Brandjacking, the unauthorized use of a company's brand * Browser hijacking * Clickjacking (including ''like ...

road tanker A tank truck, gas truck, fuel truck, or tanker truck (American English) or tanker (British English) is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquids or gases on roads. The largest such vehicles are similar to railroad tank cars, which are also desi ...

in January 1976. PIRA volunteer, later informer,

Sean O'Callaghan Sean O'Callaghan (10 October 1954 – 23 August 2017) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), who from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s worked against the organisation from within as an intelligence agent for the Irish Gover ...

estimated that planting of Frangex would kill everyone within an radius. Whitaker, James, "John and Norma Aghast at Wedding", '' The Daily Mirror'', 23 May 1998; accessed 23 June 2015. The Real IRA (RIRA) also acquired Frangex, and, in December 2000, eighty sticks were discovered on a farm in Kilmacow, County Kilkenny, near Waterford. In early 1982 the

Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ga, Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group formed on 10 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as "the Troubles". The group seek ...

stole of Frangex commercial explosives from the Tara mines in County Tipperary, enabling the organisation to intensify its bombing campaign. The INLA carried out its deadliest attack in December 1982 with the bombing of the Droppin' Well disco in Ballykelly,

County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...

, which catered to British military personnel, in which 11 soldiers on leave and 6 civilians were killed. A bomb, estimated to be of Frangex explosive, small enough to fit into a handbag, was left beside a support pillar and brought down the roof when it exploded ."Emotional reminder of Droppin' Well bombing"
. '' Irish News''. 5 December 2002. Retrieved 7 April 2011.

References

{{reflist Alfred Nobel Explosives Swedish inventions