Northside bomb drama

THERE was drama and tension in Finglas last week when a member of the public brought a suspicious device found on their street into the local Garda station on Mellowes Road.

The incident happened at about 3pm on Tuesday (October 24) and gardaí immediately evacuated the station as a precaution.

The local fitness and leisure centre was also locked down and the road was closed off.

Gardaí also contacted the Defence Forces and the Army Bomb Disposal Team was called in to investigate the device, thought to be a pipe bomb or other Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

The scene at Finglas Garda Station was declared safe by the bomb disposal team two hours later at 5pm.

“A device was recovered and removed by Army for further examination and assessment,” a Garda spokesperson said.

“The cordon and local traffic diversions were lifted and Finglas Garda Station reopened to the public. A Garda investigation into the matter is continuing.”

The Army Bomb Disposal Team arrived on scene at 3.40pm where they conducted an assessment of the device.

“The device was made safe at the scene and has now been removed for further examination and exploitation at a secure military location,” a spokesperson for the Defence Forces said.

Dublin North West TD Noel Rock (FG) said the incident highlighted the “real and present danger” gardaí and the army face every day.

“It’s important that members of the public know that this isn’t the safest way to handle this sort of incident and if you find a device you believe to be explosive that you ring the gardaí in the first instance,” he added.