The Army bomb squad have had to destroy a 100-year-old grenade found in West Tipperary this morning.
The Defence forces Press office have told TippFM News that their Explosive Ordnance Disposal team assessed a historical munition device which was rendered stable and removed to a safe location where it was destroyed in a controlled explosion.
The hand grenade was found near the monument at Solohead this morning by Tipp County Council staff carrying out road repairs.
Tipperary Local Historian Niamh Hassett had been hoping that the grenade could have been preserved because of it’s historical significance and the possibility that it may have been owned by one of the people involved in the Soloheadbeg Ambush which is credited with being the first action of the War of Independence.
But the fact that it had to be destroyed indicate that there was still a risk is could explode.
Niamh says that the driver who found it picked it up may have had a lucky escape because he picked it up and put it on a gate pier before realising what it was and calling the Gardai.
