THOMOND BRIDGE IN Limerick had to be shut down earlier today, after a grenade dating back to World War 1 was found underneath the bridge in the River Shannon.
An army bomb disposal unit arrived at the scene at 3.30pm, and the explosive ordnance unit retrieved it at low tide just after 8pm this evening.
The Mills 36 hand grenade has now been taken to a secure location, where it will be detonated safely.
A cordon was put in place for the duration of the operation to ensure public safety. Thomond Bridge has since re-opened to traffic.
Maintenance works are currently ongoing on the bridge, which yielded the discovery of the device by staff working on it.
In a statement, the Defence Forces said that historic munitions from the 20th century can be encountered from time to time and that, if such encounters occur, to maintain a safe distance and contact the gardaí immediately.
The grenade itself was patented by the British Army in 1915, was used regularly throughout the War of Independence, and World War 2. They were still manufactured up until the 1980s.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say