Bomb squad responds to white powder letter to institute in Dublin

Mohan Sinha
19 Sep 2025, 16:50 GMT+10

A major security operation was triggered in central Dublin on September 16 after a suspicious package was delivered to the offices of the Iona Institute in Merrion Square
David Quinn, the organisation’s chief executive, said he opened an envelope containing white powder and a note with the words “Happy Anthrax”
The discovery immediately raised alarm, given that anthrax is a potentially lethal disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis

DUBLIN, Ireland: A major security operation was triggered in central Dublin on September 16 after a suspicious package was delivered to the offices of the Iona Institute in Merrion Square.

David Quinn, the organisation's chief executive, said he opened an envelope containing white powder and a note with the words "Happy Anthrax." The discovery immediately raised alarm, given that anthrax is a potentially lethal disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.

The Army Bomb Disposal Unit was called to the scene, and a cordon was placed around the area as part of precautionary measures. Gardaí confirmed that their officers had been alerted to the package earlier in the afternoon and that the Defence Forces' Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was requested to assist.

Founded to promote Christian faith and values, the Iona Institute describes its mission as supporting "the advancement and promotion of the Christian religion, its social and moral values, and the doing of all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of that object."

While the contents of the package are undergoing further examination, officials treated the incident as a credible threat until specialists could confirm otherwise. Gardaí said no injuries were reported, but emphasized that public safety remained their priority throughout the response.