Bomb at Limerick housing estate 'was viable'

The army says a bomb discovered in a housing estate in Limerick overnight was viable.

Several homes had to be evacuated in Knight's Court in Newcastle West when a suspicious object was found on the road at around 6pm.

According to a well-informed source, a woman living at the house contacted gardaí at around 6.10pm and told them she had seen a person placing the device on a car.

The army bomb disposal team was called and the device was dismantled at the scene. Around 20 houses had to be evacuated.

Gardaí are still trying to clarify why the motive behind the incident. They ruled out any link to a shooting which occurred in the town earlier this year.

An army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit based in Cork was deployed to the scene and made the bomb safe.

The site has now been declared safe.

There are no reports of damage but all evidence will be handed over to the Gardaí.