An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir January / February 2024 www.military.ie/magazine 28 | A bomb is composed of a fuse, a detonator and explosive content, maybe also a timer (clock) and a power source (battery). Once set off, a bomb's detonation, a sudden, violent, noisy eruption will have a number of instantaneous concurrent effects; pressure, incendiary and fragmentary. That is gas, heat and shrapnel, felt as a blast wave, burning, and an avalanche of flying debris. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer, a 'bomb squad' officer, is the highly qualified, carefully selected, intensely trained, 'number one', the leading member of dedicated, courageous, bomb disposal teams whose role is to disrupt, defuse, and disarm the lethal range of menacing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), unexploded objects and munitions, and a variety of dangerous substances. This 'making safe' of that which is intended to kill, maim, or destroy is achieved by utilising robots, remote controls, or by donning the 'bomb suit' undertaking the 'long walk' and manually implementing the necessary countermeasures. We were called out to deal with a suspect device left in the Shelbourne Hotel and, while en route, our progress was impeded when we were flagged down by a Garda in Capel Street requesting we investigate another device left in a furniture shop. In the event, restoring this additional situation to as normal as possible, as soon as possible, became more important than preserving forensics. The item was easily enough disposed of, only it took a little time to deal with, after which we proceeded without further delay to our original tasking in the Shelbourne Hotel. As we neared the hotel, I noticed a uniformed Garda inspector at the scene, standing with his back to the front door of the hotel. As I got out of my vehicle and began to approach him, the bomb went off, blowing out the glass in the building's windows and doors, much of the tiny glass slivers lodging themselves into the back of the great coat of the inspector, who was otherwise uninjured. The bomb, in a briefcase, had been placed on a table at the top of the first-floor stairs. It immediately occurred to me that had I not been intercepted en route, I would likely have been busy trying to defuse it when it went off. This firsthand account was the nearest that the Explosive Ordnance Officer (EOD) came to being killed. Bomb Disposal was and remains a dangerous and difficult undertaking. CAR BOMBS AND BARRACK BUSTERS is the remarkable true story of a quiet, unique professional elite, an account of a highly specialised publicity-shy cadre, one whose narrative needs not to be sensationalised. But this too is not a history to be allowed to become forgotten and taken for granted; it is too important for that. Hazardous, unpredictable and precarious, some of the numerous incidents that occurred during 'the Troubles' and in the post Good Friday Agreement era since, and right up to the present day at home in Ireland, but also on overseas peacekeeping duties abroad have been captured and described in this account. All these theatres and contexts involved the necessary deployment of Irish army bomb disposal teams to contribute towards Force Protection, and a restoration of a form of normality amidst challenging and changing circumstances. The constant intent of the various paramilitary or militia bombmakers throughout remained deadly, their focus fixed, changing only was the very dangerous nature of the means they used, namely their munitions, viable improvised explosives devices, incendiaries, bomb-making 'factories' and bombs in transit, and these perhaps booby trapped into the bargain. Constant vigilance was necessary during those years and decades, but of itself was not nearly enough to safeguard against the serious threats. New and evolving tactics, techniques and procedures were constantly required. This specialist upskilling needed a parallel and meaningful re-equipping, and most importantly a ready supply of suitable EOD personnel, who were reliably trained in the first instance and regularly retrained thereafter. Their development, deployment and dedication continued without fanfare, went largely unheralded, was seldom proclaimed or spoken of, much less becoming the subjects of the celebrated story that they were deserving of. Today, over fifty years since its commencement, the conscious capturing of its detail is crucial before it's accurate recording was lost completely. CAR BOMBS AND BARRACK BUSTERS is an honest first attempt to capture their achievements. Anonymity preserved, their first- hand accounts are their own best reference, and for the first time allow their particular perspective be presented. CAR BOMBS AND CAR BOMBS AND BARRACK BUSTERS BARRACK BUSTERS BY LT COL (RETD) DAN HARVEY PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PR BRANCH EOD operator on a training exercise Garda with outer cordon while EOD deal with viable device

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