MEMBERS of an Irish army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit made safe a pipe bomb that was found in Limerick after Gardaí responded to a car fire at a housing estate in the early hours of this Friday morning (October 18).
The car, a black SUV, was completely destroyed in the fire at Star Court housing estate, John Carew Park.
According to a reliable source, the device discovered this morning was a “crude homemade pipe bomb” that had been damaged.
A robot was utilised by the Defence Forces EOD team to investigate the nature and viability of the device.
A statement from the Defence Forces said that “bomb disposal experts from the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team responded to a request for assistance from An Garda Síochána in relation to a suspected explosive device found in the Limerick City area”.
“A cordon was put in place for the security and protection of residents in the area. Following an assessment of the device by the EOD team, it was made safe at the location and the scene was handed over to Gardaí.”
A statement released by a Garda spokeswoman said that “Gardaí attended the scene following report of an incident of criminal damage by fire, involving a car, at a property in Southill, Limerick City, in the early hours of Friday 18th October 2024.”
“The scene was preserved for technical examination. Investigations are ongoing.”
It is the second time this month that the Defence Forces EOD team has responded to calls for assistance from Limerick Gardaí.
On Friday October 4, a suspect explosive device, which was later declared not viable, was recovered from underneath a car parked outside houses at Pike Avenue, Garryowen.
In this incident, Gardai also discovered the device after responding to a complaint of criminal damage to a car.
It is unclear if both incidents are linked.
