World War One artillery shell found in boat at Westport Quay

World War One artillery shell found in unused boat at Westport Quay

Michael Duffy

THE Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit of the Irish Army had to travel to Westport last Wednesday afternoon after a large artillery shell was located on an old, unused trawler at Westport Quay.

The shell was found as the trawler was being revamped and gardaí were alerted to the situation at 11am on Wednesday morning, as Westport Superintendent Michael Murray explains.

“The individual cleaning out the boat correctly contacted the station on locating what he believed to be an artillery shell and our members proceeded with caution. We closed off an area of the Quay, close to the Point, and a decision was then taken to call in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit from Athlone.”

Supt Murray said the members of the unit decided it was safe to remove the shell from the boat and a decision was taken to blow up the device in a controlled manner at Corcoran’s Quarry in Erriff.

Commenting on the likelihood of how the shell came to be on the trawler, Supt Murray said the general belief was that the shell was probably brought onboard with netting while the trawler was out at sea.

“The shell was of World War 1 origin so the likelihood is that it became tangled up in netting while the trawler was out at sea. It was of a substantial size and would have caused considerable damage if it had exploded but there was no detonator present so the public were not in any danger.”

This is second time in recent years that the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit have had to visit Westport. In 2007, a hand grenade was found in a shed in Buckwaria but it too was taken from the scene and destroyed at a firing range in Roscommon.