A CONTROLLED explosion has been carried out on unexploded shells that were found at the beginning of the week at Rosslare Strand, Co Wexford.
A Garda spokesman said: “Builders were excavating a site on Strand Road on Monday, October 20th, when five unexploded shells were discovered.
“Work ceased immediately, the gardaí were called and the bomb disposal unit from Collins Barracks was alerted,” the spokesman said.
An Army spokesman said the bomb disposal unit had assessed the potential danger of the shells on Monday afternoon and said that a controlled explosion was carried out on one of the shells yesterday.
“Five solid-core shells were discovered,” the Army spokesman added.
“We don’t believe that they were placed there by any criminal or gang, but believe that they have been lying there for some considerable time – most likely since the Civil War period.
“There was no immediate danger to anyone in the area.
“A controlled explosion was carried out one of the shells and the remaining four were then collected and brought back to Collins Barracks for further tests,” the spokesman continued.
Gardaí said it was not thought that any further shells remained in the area and that work had resumed on the building site.