Workmen carrying out renovations find old British hand grenade

Earlier today, following a request from An Garda Síochána, an Army Bomb Disposal Team made safe a 'Mills 36' hand grenade at a home in Stradbally, Co Laois.

The grenade was discovered by a member of the public conducting renovations.

The Army Bomb Disposal Team arrived on scene at 9am, where they carried out an initial assessment of the grenade before proceeding to make it safe.

The grenade was subsequently moved a short distance and disposed of.

The scene was declared safe at 10:10am.

The Army said that 'Mills 36' hand grenades were regularly used throughout the War of Independence and World War Two.

They were patented and developed by the British Army in 1915 and continued to be manufactured up until the 1980s. The Army added that historic munitions from conflicts in the early 20th century can be encountered from time to time.

Should members of the public find such munitions they are advised to maintain a safe distance, inform An Garda Síochána, who in turn will request Defence Forces assistance.