Mayo councillor wants Castlebar lake cleared of British munitions
Fine Gael councillor Ger Deere wants the Defence Forces to carry out a scoping exercise on Lough Lannagh for historic munitions
A MAYO councillor has called for the Defence Forces to carry out a scoping exercise of Lough Lannagh to clear it of any munication left behind by British Crown Forces.
Members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team carried out a controlled explosion after a grenade was discovered near Lough Lannagh in Castlebar on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The grenade, which was described as 'historic in nature', was discovered by the lakeshore and reported to gardaí earlier that day.
It is understood that the grenade originated from the War of Independence and many people in Castlebar believe that British Forces dumped munitions in the lake prior to leaving the military barracks in Castlebar following the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty in 1922.
The discovery of the grenade prompted local councillor Ger Deere to call for the Defence Forces to carry out a search of the lake to ensure that it is free from other munitions.
“From reports I believe it was when the Crown Forces were leaving here in the 1920s they dumped a load of ammunition in the lake as a present to us. That is serious and I am asking we write to the department of defence to do a scoping exercise on it,” he told the monthly meeting of the Castlebar Municipal District.
His remarks were met with humour from fellow councillor Blackie Gavin who said he won't swim in the lake again as he might 'go up in smoke'.
“Kilcoyne [local undertaker and councillor] will have to pick up the pieces,” he laughed.
However, Cllr Deere said it was a serious matter that needs investigating.
“It is a serious issue because Lough Lannagh is being used a lot for swimming along with other activities and we cannot have a situation going wrong. We need a scoping exercise done while the lake levels are low,” he said.
Meanwhile members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were called to Sweeney's Supermarket and Hardware in Achill Sound on Thursday, July 23 following the discovery of an explosive during construction work on the building.
A spokesperson for the Defence Forces said that the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were deployed to Achill, and carried out a preplanned operation to 'dispose of legacy materials'. The spokesperson said the materials are believed to be from the 1950s / 1960s.