THE army bomb disposal unit yesterday blew up what it described as an "improvised explosive device" which was found in a lane in city centre Dublin.
An army spokesman said the bomb disposal unit had a "gut feeling" that the explosion when the device was destroyed, was greater than would be justified by the charge they used.
However, it will not be known whether the device contained any explosives until an investigation by Garda forensic experts is completed.
The device, a heavy steel box covered with tape and with a battery and watch attached, was found between a parked car and a gateway, at around 2.30 p.m., at the back of the Guardian Insurance building in Jervis Lane Lower, a lane which runs from Mary Street to Abbey Street Upper, parallel to Jervis Street.
The gardai sealed off Mary Street and Abbey Street Upper between Jervis Street and Capel Street. The streets were not reopened until a second controlled explosion destroyed the device, at around 5.10 p.m.
There were ball hearings inside the device and damage was caused to a parked car and to the window of a nearby building, the spokesman said.
There were no claims of responsibility from any person or group. The gardai suspect the device was an "elaborate hoax".
The box measured approximately eight inches by six inches by four inches.
