Garda investigation after pipe bomb thrown at home in Mayfield

Gardaí in Cork have begun an investigation after a suspected pipe bomb was thrown at a house in Mayfield in Cork city in the early hours of Friday morning.

The cylindrical shaped device was found in the garden of the house at Shannon Lawn in Mayfield on the city's northside at around 3.30am.

The occupants of the two story house evacuated the building. Gardaí also evacuated adjoining houses in the terrace and cordoned off the area pending the arrival of an army bomb disposal team.

The bomb disposal team from Collins Barracks were quickly on the scene where they carried out a preliminary examination of the device before removing it from the garden of the house.

It’s understood the device was brought to a secure area at Collins Barracks where the disposal team carried out a detailed examination..

Gardaí are awaiting confirmation from the army bomb disposal experts on whether the device was a viable explosive device capable of causing injury or death.

It’s expected that the dismantled device will later be returned to gardaí to enable garda ballistics experts to carry out a forensic examination to try and establish who planted it.

Gardaí believe the device may have been thrown at the house at around 1.30am when the occupants of the house heard a noise.

According to a garda source, the device then bounced back into the garden where it was discovered around 3.30am by an occupant of the house who raised the alarm.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious in the Shannon Lawn area of Mayfield between 1am - 3.30am to contact them.

Anyone who can assist gardaí in their investigation is asked to contact Mayfield Garda Station on 021-4558510 or the Garda Confidential Telephone on 1800 666 111.