Mystery Explosion in Waterford

At midnight on Wednesday, 21 August 1946, there was an explosion and a “vivid flash of light” in Waterford city. However, there was no evidence to be found that there had been an explosion.

Some witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the yard of a building contractor. But the Fire Brigade and the Civic Guards found nothing during a search of the yard.

Mystery explosions were a daily occurrence in many parts of south-east Ireland during July 1946.

They were particularly intense on Thursday, 11 July 1946. Beginning at 4:20am, there were explosions every minute for the next hour. Houses vibrated; and in one a wall collapsed.

Though they seemed to come from the Irish Sea, the source of the explosions was never discovered.

Sources:
The Irish Times, 12 July 1946 and 23 August 1946.