An Army bomb disposal team has removed a viable pipe bomb from the garden of a house on the northside of Cork city.

A robot and x-ray equipment was used to assess the viability of the device.

The Explosive Ordnance Defence unit has left the scene with the device and it will be dismantled and examined before being sent to the Garda ballistics unit in Dublin for forensic examination.

A woman discovered the device in a bag in the garden of her home in Knocknaheeny shortly after 8am.

She and her six-year-old daughter, as well as her neighbours, were evacuated pending the arrival of the bomb disposal team.

Residents in 12 houses that were evacuated have been given the all clear to return home.

Elsewhere, a viable device was found in Limerick city last night.

An Army bomb disposal team was called to the scene at Gerald Griffith Street at 10pm and the device was removed for safe disposal.