Fears after grenade attack on house

GARDAÍ in Dublin are fearful of further attacks involving lethal explosives, following an incident in Crumlin shortly after 11pm last night in which a live grenade was thrown at a house.

The attack is believed to be linked to the fatal stabbing of an inmate in Mountjoy Prison earlier this week.

Nobody was injured in the incident as occupants of the house on Slane Road, Crumlin, which was the target of the attack, are understood to have been advised by gardaí to move out of the premises.

Two men are wanted for questioning over the attack after a number of eye-witnesses reported seeing them fleeing the scene in a dark-coloured vehicle.

The occupant of the car was seen throwing the device at the property.

A car, which gardaí believe was used as the getaway vehicle, was later found burnt out a short distance away at Leighlin Road, Crumlin.

The explosion created a hole in the driveway of the house and caused damage to both a car parked outside and another vehicle on the opposite side of the road.

Garda sources said it was fortunate nobody was seriously injured or killed.

One local, who did not wish to be identified, said he heard “a massive bang”.

“It’s unreal. It would make you afraid what is going to happen next,” he said.

Dozens of residents in the immediate neighbourhood were evacuated from their homes for several hours in bad weather by gardaí as the Army Bomb Squad were called in to carry out an inspection of the device.

Garda technical experts continued a forensic examination of the scene yesterday as the house remained sealed off.

Detectives believe the incident was in retaliation for the killing of a prisoner, Derek Glennon, in Mountjoy Prison on Monday evening.

Glennon, aged 24, of Stanaway Road, Crumlin, who was serving a 10-year sentence for manslaughter, died after being involved in a scuffle in the jail.

Another prisoner, Declan O’Reilly, aged 27, from Parnell Road, Crumlin, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with Glennon’s murder.

The house on Slane Road which was the target of Thursday night’s attack is understood to be used by a female relative of O’Reilly.

Senior gardaí are concerned at evidence that criminal gangs are finding it easy to access deadly explosive material as the Crumlin incident was the third attack involving explosives in Dublin in the space of just four days.

Last Tuesday, a grenade was thrown at a house in the Coombe area of the inner city in an unrelated attack. Gardaí believe the incident was linked to a row involving the INLA and drug dealers.

The previous day, a home-made pipe bomb, which failed to detonate, was thrown from a passing car at a group of people on their way to work in Mulhuddart at around 8.40pm.

Garda intelligence has established that criminal gangs are using former paramilitaries in the North as a main source for providing military equipment like grenades and other weapons.