Investigation launched after 'crude but viable' device found in Dublin office building

Garda officers outside the Convention Centre in  Dublin during a meeting of the EU Council on Friday. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Gardaí and the Defence Forces have launched an investigation after a “crude but viable” device was found in an office building in Dublin’s Merrion Square on Friday afternoon.

Gardaí said they responded to a report of a suspicious device in an office shortly after 2.20pm.

A cordon was established, and the Defence Forces bomb squad — the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team — attended the scene.

The EOD unit deployed remotely operated vehicles and a bomb disposal robot before making safe the “crude but viable device”.

In a statement, gardaí said an investigation into the device had commenced.

The building in question is on the north side of Merrion Square and is not the National Gallery of Ireland, where Taoiseach Micheál Martin hosted a dinner for European leaders on Thursday night following a summit at the Convention Centre.

The area has been under a security lockdown for the past several days as the capital was the venue for the European Political Community (EPC) meeting.

Gardaí said in a statement: “Shortly after 2.20pm on Friday, November 13, gardaí responded to report of a suspicious device at an office building in Merrion Square, Dublin 2.

“Based on initial Garda assessment the Defence Forces EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) team were requested to attend the scene.

“The EOD team has made what is a crude but viable device safe.

“A garda investigation into this device has commenced.”