Mullingar hospital evacuated over IS hoax

The main building of St Loman’s psychiatric hospital in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was evacuated yesterday due to what was initially thought to be a bio-agent threat, allegedly from the terror group Islamic State (IS).

A member of the administrative staff at the hospital opened an item of mail addressed to ‘medical staff’ which contained white power and a written threat which read ‘ISIS is going to get you’. As a result, gardaí sealed off the main building, which houses just administrative staff.

The army bomb disposal unit from Athlone arrived at the building at about 5.30pm.