Pipebomb thrown at home close to children's hospital.
BY ALAN O'KEEFFE – 12 JULY 2014 12:00 AM
a pipebomb thrown outside a house near Crumlin's children's hospital "could have been picked up by kids", residents said.
Gardai called in military ordnance experts after the explosive device was discovered outside the home at Errigal Road in the south Dublin suburb of Drimnagh.
An army bomb disposal team worked at the scene yesterday to make the bomb safe. Gardai said it was a "viable" bomb.
The house is situated very close to Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
Roads were sealed off yesterday afternoon while a cordon was placed around the area during the military operation and a number of nearby houses were also evacuated. But the running of the hospital was not affected by the joint garda-military operation.
Last night, a man living in the house targeted by the bombers said he had no idea why his home was attacked.
He told the Herald: "It's a big shock. I haven't a clue why they did it."
dumbfounded
The 54-year-old grandfather, who lives in the terraced house with his partner, said: "I'm dumbfounded. They must have had the wrong address. We've done nothing."
He said his partner was at home around 3pm when she heard a clanking sound on the garden path in front of her door. She saw the device which had been thrown onto the path.
The man added that his grandchildren regularly visit his home and one could have picked up the bomb and have been seriously injured.
The pipebomb was made safe at the scene without the need for a controlled explosion. The component parts were taken away for further study before being handed over to gardai for a forensic examination.
Last night gardai were trying to establish a motive for the incident. The emergency began at 3 pm when "a metal bar" was discovered outside the house on Errigal Road.
The army bomb squad declared the area safe at 4.25 pm.
Bomb teams have been called out 82 times so far this year and made safe 30 viable improvised explosive devices.
