A LORRY carrying explosives has crashed into a shop in Moneygall, Co Offaly, the town US president Barack Obama is scheduled to visit next month.
The incident happened at about 7.30am when the truck carrying commercial explosives crashed into the front wall of Donovans grocery on Main Street.
The shop is owned by the Donovan family, who also own Mr Obama’s ancestral home.
Two fire trucks from Roscrea and one from Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, were dispatched to the scene and a water tanker from Nenagh was also called as a precaution in case of explosion.
A spokesman for the North Tipperary Fire Services said the truck involved in the crash was being used to transport explosive materials.
However, the contents had been made safe for transit and the detonators were being carried separately from the accompanying liquid elements.
Following an inspection of the dangers posed by the explosive material, the truck was towed away at about 9.30am.
Main Street, which had been blocked off to traffic, was then reopened to the public.
A mechanical fault is considered the most likely cause of the crash. The truck driver was shaken and he sustained a sore wrist.
It is understood the vehicle carrying the explosives and detonators was travelling from a factory in Nenagh that produces components for commercial explosives used in the mining industry.
The owner of Donovans grocery, John Donovan, said he was away from the shop at the time of the crash.
He confirmed that nobody was seriously injured as a result of the incident but said considerable damage had been done to the front of the building.
“There was a fair bit of damage. It’s structural, it’s like the end of the shop has been hit by a mini earthquake,” he said. “It’s not much to look at but it’s when it’s examined that you see it. It wouldn’t have been too bad if he’d hit it straight on, but the angle he came at did the damage.”
Mr Obama is due to visit the shop during his time in Moneygall next month and Mr Donovan called the damage done “the last thing he needed right now”.
“I’m not really sure what we’re going to do about it,” he said. “We’ll have a meeting in the morning and I suppose we’ll try to get things back on track from there.”