It is believed locally, though not confirmed by Mullingar Gardai on Tuesday as we went to press, that an explosion in the Greenpark Meadows area of the town at about 2.15am on Monday night/Tuesday morning of this week, 30 May, may have been some kind of a pipe bomb planted beside a residence, similar to one which was left in the same area of Mullingar on Sunday afternoon last, 28 May, just 36 hours earlier.
The latest incidents, believed to be feud-related, are being treated very seriously by the Gardai, and a life or lives could have been lost on Sunday, if a pipe bomb, found by a child at Greenpark, had exploded.
On Sunday afternoon last shortly after 4pm, as passersby walked down College Street, Mullingar, they were mystified to see an Army bomb disposal unit backed by army personnel, and with Gardai also in attendance outside the Garda Barracks, and then to see a remotely controlled ordinance examination machine moving about outside the Hevey Institute on the grounds of Colaiste Mhuire, Mullingar.
The story, as it emerged sounded like something from a film script. On Sunday afternoon, 28 May, a man was in the Greenpark housing estate area when his little son found a package, which his father found to be rather suspicious. The man brought the package with him, wondering what to do, and decided to drive to Mullingar Garda Station, and hand it in.
BROUGHT TO GARDA STATION
The man arrived into the station at approximately 2.30pm and presented the package to the Gardaí at the front counter.
Garda personnel immediately treated the package as suspicious and after considering the situation, took the decision to take the package and place it in the grounds of Coláiste Mhuire, where it would be some distance away from a populated area.
Garda Chief Supt Kevin Gralton, Superintendent Alan Murray and Sgt Dave Jordan attended the scene.
The Garda Crime Scene were contacted and the College grounds were cordoned off, and a short time later the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) unit were contacted at Custume Barracks, Athlone.
The EOD arrived on the scene at 4.30pm. The package was firstly robotically examined in the College grounds, in front of the Hevey Institute buildings. It was then removed to Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin, where it was dismantled and it was deemed viable. The Garda Technical Bureau examined the scene and local Gardai carried out house to house enquiries in the Greenpark area.
Gardaí believe the incident is feud related, Topic was informed on Monday.
SECOND BOMB?
Around 2.15am on Tuesday morning of this week, 30 May, residents in the Greenpark area of Mullingar, at the western end of the town, were awakened and alarmed by a violent sound like an explosion in the Greenpark Meadows area. Some eye witnesses told Westmeath Topic afterwards that it appeared to be some kind of an explosive device, and said at least two Garda cars were at the scene very rapidly afterwards.
Local residents described to Westmeath Topic on Tuesday how they had looked out their top windows after being awakened by “an enormous bang, like an explosion” and had seen a lot of activity in the back garden of one house, and torches being used in the garden area within a few minutes of wakening. “I didn’t know what had happened,” one resident said.
Another resident close to where the incident occurred, said he was awakened, and as he was going down to open his door and see what happened, heard a car speeding past his home within moments of the explosion awakening him, as if someone was leaving the scene at great speed on the street outside.
Mullingar Gardai, while not confirming on this Tuesday afternoon that there was an explosion in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Greenpark, described what occurred as a “suspicious incident” and said that the scene was being examined and items taken away for examination. House to house enquiries were also being carried out. Asked if there was an explosion, the Garda spokesperson could not say, again describing it as “an incident.”
A Topic staff member witnessed a car being lifted on to a removal vehicle, apparently called out by the Gardai, and taken away from a house in Greenpark Meadows shortly before noon on Tuesday.
GARDA WARNING
Gardaí are warning the public that if they see or spot any suspicious package or device that they should leave the package where it is, without interfering, and immediately phone the Gardaí.
“They should under no circumstances lift up or touch or go near the package and they should not bring it to the Gardaí Station, even though they may think this is the right thing to do,” a Garda spokesman indicated. “They should just phone the Gardaí and let them deal with it.”
