Gardai are investigating whether a sinister pipe bomb incident in which a 42-year-old council employee was targeted is linked to his work on exposing an illegal dumping site.
The shocking incident led to a number of houses being evacuated at Pearse Avenue in Sallynoggin late on Thursday night after the viable bomb was discovered attached to the man's vehicle.
Bomb squad was called in Bomb squad was called in The Herald has learned that the victim has been the subject of a terrifying campaign of harassment for almost three months due to his work.
This has involved threats being made to him by people who have called to his house - which was reported to gardai in September - as well as instances of the respected man being followed on the street.
However, the discovery of a bomb attached to the council employee's vehicle at around 11pm on Thursday is considered a major escalation of the campaign against the Dubliner.
Gardai in Dun Laoghaire are investigating the bomb incident and no arrests have been made so far.
However, sources said that officers who have been aware of threats against the Sallynoggin man never expected the dispute to escalate like it had this week.
The pipe bomb was discovered by a relative of the intended target, who immediately became suspicious and called gardai, who in turn contacted the Army Bomb Squad.
The suspected target declined to comment on the incident but sources said they believed the pipe-bomb attack was a direct result of his work as a litter warden.
There are a number of lines of inquiry, including an alleged illegal dumping incident in south Dublin.
The victim has been on sick leave from work for a number of weeks after an incident where he was threatened, and gardai believe the latest attack is related to that previous incident.
Safe
Neighbours said gardai closed Pearse Avenue at both ends on Thursday night while the Army dealt with the device, which proved to be viable.
"There were three squad cars, and the Army truck as well, but we were told to either leave or homes or stay in the back of them until the area was made safe," said one neighbour.
"It was a terrible thing to happen, and very upsetting for the family," they added.
