Garda station evacuated after 100-year-old shell handed in

A Meath garda station had to be evacuated on Thursday night after a woman handed in a 100-year-old explosive device she found during a clear-out of her garage.

Gardaí immediately moved the device to the station carpark in Trim and cordoned off a section of nearby Castle St while awaiting the Army Bomb Disposal unit.

The drama unfolded at 10pm when the elderly resident walked into the station with the artillery shell, which dates back to 1915. It is believed that she had been aware she had the live round but had forgotten about it until finding it in the clear-out.

Army experts removed the device for examination and expected it to be destroyed yesterday afternoon.

Although the anti-tank ammunition was “quite degraded and corroded”, it still contained explosive content, according to Commandant Sean O’Fatharta of the Defence Forces Press Office.

He said: “The device was a 10in long artillery shell which would have been placed in cannons to fire at tanks or vehicles in 1915 or 1916. This type of ammunition was used by the army here until the 1930s.

“Although the risk was probably slim, the device was unstruck and still contained explosive content.”

However in a public health message, Cmdt O’Fatharta warned people “not to take anything for granted”. “If you come across any device and you have any concerns, don’t move it and contact the gardaí immediately.”

The incident in Trim was the second time this month that a device forced the evacuation of a garda station. Gardaí launched an investigation after a viable pipe bomb found in the garden of a house was wheeled in a pram through housing estates to Togher Garda Station in Cork.

The station in Cork City’s western suburbs was evacuated and roads in the area were sealed off for several hours after a man walked in to the station’s public counter and handed in the suspect device.

He had found it in the garden of his house in the Plunkett Rd area in Ballyphehane Gardaí recognised it as an improvised explosive device and ordered a full evacuation of the station. A section of the Tramore Road was also sealed off.

The Defence Forces deployed its explosive ordnance disposal team from Collins Barracks, whose members rendered the device safe at the scene.