THE centre of Courtmacsherry village has been sealed off this afternoon by gardaí following the discovery of two artillery shells, possibly dating back to WWII, that were found in the silt that is currently being dredged from the pontoon area.
The discovery was made by personnel from MJS Civil Engineering and Wicklow company Marine Specialists.
The gardaí were alerted immediately and the area, that includes Cork County Council property – where the dredging waste is being stored before its removal to a facility in Portlaoise – was immediately cordoned off.
A close-up of one of the artillery shells. (Photo: Martin Walsh)The army arrived on the scene in Courtmacsherry just before 3pm this afternoon and will investigate the discovery.
Meanwhile, Courmacsherry traffic is being diverted towards Barryroe or Timoleague.
The long-awaited dredging works began earlier this month and on Friday August 12th, the first of two trucks, each carrying 22 tonnes of the waste material, were transported to Portlaoise.
