An incident involving a flower and a firework brought Dublin city centre to a standstill yesterday.

One of the city’s busiest roads was put on lock-down after two tourists from the US, one of whom is war veteran who lost a leg in Afghanistan, spotted an item on a bench inside the grounds of Christ Church Cathedral.

It was a flower wrapped in plastic. The war veteran placed it into a nearby bin.

However, there was then an explosion inside the bin.

It’s unclear whether the firework was attached to the flower, was thrown into the bin shortly afterwards or had already been there.

The Irish Independent understands the former soldier was startled by the loud bang and suspected the firework was actually a bomb.

He flagged down gardaí in a patrol car who immediately alerted the Army bomb disposal team.

Members of the Defence Forces EOD team arrived on the scene about 1.30pm and a robot was used to help inspect the bin. As a consequence, there were major traffic delays across the city while the church and nearby roads were evacuated.

Many residents and office workers were also unable to leave their buildings while the operation took place.

A bin in the area was emptied by the disposal team and its contents were examined. Post-blast analysis at the scene established the presence of firework remnants in suspicious wrapping. The team departed the scene at 3.27pm.

Traffic diversions were put in place following the alert, but all roads in the area have since reopened.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

“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.

The incident occurred on the same day a Halloween campaign was launched to highlight the dangers of illegal fireworks, and the penalties people can face if they are caught with them.

“Most of us enjoy firework displays and we associate them with very special occasions,” said Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan.

“I want young people and their parents in particular to be aware of the risks – fireworks may be beautiful to watch but can be devastating if handled incorrectly.”

An Garda Síochána has put in place measures to prevent and detect the sale and organised importation of fireworks in the lead-up to Halloween. Operation Tombola is designed to address all aspects associated with the policing of the Halloween period.

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