Last Wednesday (24 August), an Army Bomb Disposal Team was tasked to investigate a suspected grenade found at Balbriggan Harbour.

Following a request from An Garda Síochána, the team arrived at the scene in Balbriggan at around 2.10pm and a cordon was set up for the safety of the public in the north Co Dublin town.

The concerning item was assessed to be a grenade dating from the War of Independence era 100 years ago, and it was rendered safe at the scene.

“Should members of the public encounter suspicious items, or hazardous substances, they are advised to maintain a safe distance and inform An Garda Síochána,” a spokesperson for the Defence Forces said.

Dublin Port has highlighted An Post’s issuing of a €1 stamp to honour the Dublin Dockers’ Society and their strike during the War of Independence.

The stamp, of a set of two designed by Ger Garland, reproduces a headline in the Freeman’s Journal on 21 May 1920 — ‘Dockers Down Tools’ — and refers to the Munitions Strike whereby dockers refused to discharge British munitions from a vessel in Dublin.

The strike action — which continued until December 1920 — quickly spread across Ireland, with rail-workers also refusing to handle munitions.

Issued on 24 September, the new ’N’ rate stamps covering postage in Ireland and accompanying First Day Cover envelope are available from main Post Offices, Dublin’s GPO and online at www.anpost.com/shop