The occupants of several properties were asked to leave their homes for a time, while a section of road was closed following the discovery of a ‘suspicious device’ in Co Clare.
The alarm was raised late on Friday evening when what’s now believed to have been Mills type War of Independence era grenade was discovered while work was being carried out at a property near Crusheen. Gardaí were alerted and attended the scene.
The Defence Forces were also notified and requested to dispatch bomb disposal experts to inspect and deal with the device. Gardaí sealed off the property overnight pending the arrival of an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from Athlone shortly after 9.00am today.
Ahead of the EOD team’s arrival, a section of the old Ennis to Galway road (R458) was closed between Caheraphuca and Crusheen village and traffic diverted away from the area.
The occupants of several nearby properties were asked to leave their homes for a time while EOD technicians dealt with the device.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed: “Gardaí and emergency services attended following the discovery of a suspicious device at a premises in Crusheen Co. Clare this morning, Saturday 13th December 2025.
The army EOD unit attended and removed the device for examination, making the area safe. The road was closed but has since reopened. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Similar devices have been found at several locations in the county in recent years including, Lahinch, Newmarket on Fergus and Tarmon in West Clare.
In 2016, a member of the public unwittingly handed a vintage grenade into Ennis Garda station. It had been discovered in a shed at a house in the town while it was being cleared.
A bomb disposal team based at Collins Barracks in Cork arrived at the station and assessed the device before removing it to a local quarry where it was disposed of safely.
In 2002, the army bomb squad was called to the home of legendary balladeer and farmer Robbie McMahon after he discovered a vintage Mills grenade and a stick of gelignite at his home in East Clare.
The late Mr McMahon, famous for his rendition of the song ‘Spancill Hill’, made the discovery while carrying out repairs to the roof of a shed.
Both were safely disposed of in a controlled explosion carried out by Defence Forces personnel.