Updated 5.05pm

IRISH RAIL HAS said that Connolly Station has been reopened to the public following a security alert after midday today.

The station was evacuated around 12.20pm by Irish Rail after a suspect item was found.

The suspect item was TNT or dynamite, believed to have been used by railway stations years ago.

“It was old sticks of TNT, of dynamite it was great vigilance by the team that was there to spot it,” Irish Rail spokesperson Barry Kenny told Drivetime this evening.

He added that it wasn’t known whether the device was planted or had been there for years.

We really don’t know where it came from. Obviously it’s quite some time since the area would have been in active use. It could have been there since then, it might have been placed there since then but it’s not for us to deduce that.

Gardaí and Defence Forces personnel attended, and had advised that the station be evacuated. Nearby offices were also understood to be evacuated.

Defence Forces members at the scene Source: Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

The Army Bomb Disposal Team arrived on scene at 2pm, the historic explosives were then made safe and removed to a military location for disposal.

The scene was declared safe at 2.50pm and the alert was lifted.

Irish Rail said that full services are resuming, and that remaining delays would ease ahead of evening rush hour.