Army destroys three pipebombs left in city park

ARMY explosives experts have destroyed three viable pipebombs, discovered by chance in a Dublin park yesterday morning.

The devices, which were capable of causing serious injury, were discovered by a man out walking his dog in Fairview Park on the city’s northside at around 8am.

Shortly afterwards members of the army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit were called to the scene.

After examination of the devices the team carried out three controlled explosions.

A section of the park where the bombs were found remained closed to the public.

Gardaí are appealing for anybody who say unusual activity in the Fairview Park area to contact them at Clontarf Garda station on 01-666 4800.

Army bomb disposal experts also examined a suspect package left in a social welfare office in Ballyfermot in west Dublin.

Gardaí and emergency services were called to the scene after the package was left there yesterday morning. It turned out to be harmless.

Last July a 23-year-old west Dublin man was jailed for seven years for possession of an improvised pipe bomb at the Westlink toll bridge just before Christmas.

The man had been under surveillance when gardaí from the Special Detective Unit stopped his car on the M50 on suspicion it was carrying explosives.

In June, army experts removed a small incendiary device from under a car in Clondalkin, also in west Dublin. It had been primed and set to explode, but failed to go off.